


The Guardian of the Sea

by Naeryda



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Abduction, Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Dragons, F/M, Fantasy, Friendship, Love, Mermaids, Nyotalia, Ocean, Pirates, Romance, Royalty, Sailing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-10
Updated: 2016-05-31
Packaged: 2018-04-14 01:41:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 46
Words: 73,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4545312
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Naeryda/pseuds/Naeryda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Elizabeta Héderváry is a female pirate, giving orders in her father's -the captain's- name, until he fell into the hands of the enemy. In order to save him, Elizabeta and her friends must undergo a task that almost seems impossible to accomplish, making them face dangerous situations: the Royal family and the Sea. </p><p>Multipe POVs and Multiple pairings (Pruhun, Lietbel, Asakiku/Asasaku)<br/>[ The last tagged 8 characters are minor/side characters ]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: This is my first English written Fanfiction, so bear with me :’D. English is not my first language so if you find grammatical mistakes please tell me :’). I always wanted to write a story about my OTP and so I came up with this story :D. ]

 

* * *

_Elizabeta_

Every tale starts with a legend.

Mine started with my father’s abduction.

It was a rainy day; waves were clashing against the ship while the wind whipped my long brown hair in my sweaty face. I saw my father being thrown on the enemy’s ship called ‘Proteus’ as we fought our ways through the attacking pirates. It was a bloody fight and chances were small to win it.

Living a pirate’s life wasn’t an easy one; especially living it as a woman. I was born on my father’s ship, raised to act like a boy. He knew it would be hard for me as a girl to survive in this world and so my childhood consisted of swordsmanship and sailing.

My mother died during my childbirth and so my father was left alone to nurture me. The ship’s crew wasn’t amused as they learned of my existence, considering the beliefs they had about women being bad luck on a ship, although they warmed up to me. Most of them now see me as their own daughter or little sister.

I wasn’t the only female on board as a young woman joined our crew a few years ago. She looked no older than me and lost her family. Homeless and desperate, she looked for someone to take her in. The only thing that remained with her was her name. Natalya. Upon seeing her, my father was reminded of me and accepted her.

My eyes focused on the scene before me.

“Eliza, we need to get out of here. The ship is lost.” Someone called from behind me.

“We can’t…!” I shouted.

The ship was violently shaken by the clashing waves; my screaming could barely be heard. I fell on the ground as someone pushed me down.

“Oh, what do we have here? What a lovely lady.”

A big grin was plastered on his face; he wanted to grab me but failed as I jumped back to my feet and hit his face.

“You bloody wench! I am going to-”

My sword pierced his dark heart before he could finish his sentence. His lifeless body fell to the ground. Yes, I was a good swordswoman; mostly everyone underestimated me and was paying it with their life.

I wasn’t a cold-hearted killer; I was a survivor. Rule number one on my father’s ship: Never let anyone kill you without a fight. Meaning, if I had to be killed, I would rather fight and defend myself before I would be stabbed to death. One doesn’t die without a battle. As a woman, you should not depend on others to safe you but trust yourself and believe in your skills.

That’s what he always told me.

I looked back at the enemy ship whose crew held my father as a hostage.

“Father…” I whispered.

“Eliza! Stop!” One of my crewmates screamed.

Something crushed on me the moment I turned around to answer him. All I could hear were some muffled voices and screams. Seconds went by as I lost my consciousness.

 

* * *

_Gilbert_

“Lady Emma Van Haegen.” One of the royal servants announced.

There it goes again. I don’t know how my father could endure such boring balls neither could I stand the fact that this was all made for me. He got the insane idea to find my future wife. At least I could choose one of these royal ladies if they caught my interest.

“Sir Vash Zwingli accompanied by Lady Lilly Zwingli!”

It was the third gathering my father had planned out. He wanted me to wed someone to save the family bloodline, instead of ‘playing’ outside with weapons as he liked to describe my training. In his eyes I was a spoiled, war-loving fool whose focus wasn’t on important things in life. Totally unawesome. Being the king’s son wasn’t an easy task.

“Isn’t Lady Emma lovely?”

“Well… Yes, though not quiet suited for me father.” I retorted.

The king shot me a questioning look and opened his mouth to protest but closed it when the music started to play. My father’s stern look told me to ask a lady for a dance. It was my evening after all, however I wasn’t in the mood to follow the rules of the social behaviour of a host. The tension between us two grew.

“I beg your pardon your Royal Highness, but Prince Ludwig is asking for you.”

I looked up to see one of the royal servants; out of breath and clearly concerned about my brother.

“Another nightmare?”

The servant’s speechless response I received only confirmed my question.

Since my mother died, Ludwig was plagued with bad dreams. He could not understand why she was gone leaving him to grow up without motherly love; it was too much for him and so was his crying for me. I may be a bored foolish young man but when it comes to my brother, I would do anything to see him happy and save.

“Son, let the nurse take care of him.” My father’s voice held a warning, as if he would kill me when I would leave my seat. His look normally frightens our servants and several other persons except for me; I wasn’t afraid of him.

“No. I am going to leave this farce and take care of my brother who needs me more than those boring girls.” I declared angrily while standing up.

Even though my back was facing him I could feel his outraged looks.

I didn’t care.

Before entering my brother’s chamber; Ludwig’s muffled cries were echoing through the halls and worrying me in an anguish manner. It broke my heart upon witnessing his sobs.

“Luddy.” My voice was only above a whisper nevertheless he heard it and noticed me. The five year old jumped out of the bed, right into my arms.

It was almost a routine to sooth him. Our mother’s lullaby was the key to calm him down, which I hummed, rocking him to sleep.

I put him softly in his bed and stayed by his side. I was well aware of the fact that there was a ball downstairs but it didn’t pick my attention anymore. My brother was my first priory leading me stay with him all night long.

The settee near Ludwig’s bed seemed like a cosy place to watch over him until sleep would take over me.

I closed my eyes and thought about Ludwig and my future. Being trapped in a loveless marriage was something I certainly didn’t wished for. It wasn’t the future I wanted to have, yet I had no choice. I was hoping against hope that maybe someday I could plan my life on my own. An awesome life.

 

 


	2. II.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: The character Captain Roberts was invented and only put into the story to fulfil the role of the villain.]

* * *

_Elizabeta_

I was running through the wind, while my footprints were left in the sand. Everything smelled like salt as I sprinted next to the ocean’s water. The sun was on its rise; clouds were painted in every warm colour I knew. Nature was incredible beautiful. I’ve always loved the shore and sea which got me the name ‘little mermaid’ as my father and crewmates like to call me. Father ...

I woke up with a shriek; panic written all over my face. The bed, I was lying in was comfortable though it was neither my room nor mattress.

“You woke up.”

I looked up to see Feliks, one crewmember and friend of mine. He was one year younger than me but acted as a careful older brother. We found him ten years ago in a village which was almost completely burnt down. He was a mere child, watching his suffering mother fighting against death for every breath of life. She didn’t make it. We took the orphan in, gave him the warm feeling of a family. The blonde green-eyed was a cheerful fellow despite his loss. Counting him as one of my best friends, he was the one who knew exactly what to do when I was panicking.

Feliks grabbed my hands, caressing its skin, trying to lessen my fear.

“Hi ... Where are we? What has happened? What about father?” I asked him, not aware of my fast breathing.

“Calm down”, Feliks took me in his arms, “We almost didn’t made it. The ship burnt down and half of the crew disappeared. We don’t know if they died or jumped in the water.”

I tensed in his arms, realising what must have been occurred. One moment ago I was fighting on our ship trying to win a battle, we got in by accident and now I was sitting on a bed with my blood-stained clothes. We lost our ship, half of our crew and most importantly, my father.

“Damn it!” I cursed myself for my weakness; my father was in danger and I wasn’t strong enough to have him saved the moment I saw him being hostage on that bloody ship. I was born to be a warrior and wasn’t able to protect one of my beloved family members.

“Lizzie.” Feliks’ facial expression was nervous but steady as he continued, “We are going to rescue him. But first we totally need to eat something. I am fed up eating citrons and rusks every single day on that damn ship.”

Hope was rising in my chest. Rescue him. But how would we succeed? We had no ship, no captain and a disarmed injured crew. To defeat Captain Robert and his idiotic mates, we needed to practically start all over. I stood up and started to doubt everything.

“How are we going to find him?”

Feliks watched me with concerned eyes.

“Well… Lizzie, while you were unconscious, Captain Robert suggested to release our captain in exchange for something else.” He informed me.

“What ‘something else’?” I asked suspiciously. _  
_

* * *

_Gilbert_

“Only for tonight and tomorrow evening, then I am left alone by my father’s unawesomely attempts to look for a wife for me. Hopefully.” I muttered to myself, watching my reflexion in the mirror. Bored crimson eyes stared back. A very unusual colour for eyes, but I was born with it and didn’t mind. If it weren’t for the fact that I was the king’s son, no one would have accepted me. I let my hand ran through my white ruffled hair. My whole appearance was ‘special’, as few of the kingdom’s inhabitants like to call it. My little brother had blonde hair and blue eyes, just as my father. Apparently I was the exception of the family when it came to beautiful blonde hair and sky blue eyes. These ladies who will attend the ball tonight would not be after me, as a person, but my title. “This ball is a farce.” I sighed.

Happy, loud and funny. Those three words described my character. I’ve kept silent since the day my mother died becoming more and more tired of this life. These expectations everyone had for me, the Prince.

Yesterday, Father was utterly upset and ranted about my behaviour; I needed to attend this stupid ball in order to –as he formally quoted- save the royal bloodline of the Beilschmidt’s.

My fingers played nervously with the necklace I wore.

“Oh mother, I wished you were here.”

She died one year ago. Mother’s poor health was always troubling her. The king was broken when he learned of her death. I fought to not break down into tears; I wanted to be strong for my brother. To grow up without a mother figure was something I didn’t want him to endure, he deserved more. The amulet around my neck was my mother’s; given by her in the night she died. ‘Take care of your brother and watch over this necklace. It is important, please Gilbert, stay strong, I want you to fulfil your dreams and become a powerful kind man who knows how to lead a kingdom. But mostly, stay true to yourself and watch over your family’. It was an ancient amulet. Every kingdom had one. Mother told me about the legend of the six kingdoms.

Since mankind existed, legends were born and died out after a century. This legend tough was told until today.

The six kingdoms were born, out of the existence of the six dragons. The dragons of fire, earth, air, water, Ice and wood were in a brutal war. Lands were burnt down, earthquakes were destroying villages, storms were raging through the countries, water was drowning the harvest, ice was freezing the essential seas and the forest wasn’t growing into the paradise, people craved to have. In order to save the world from its ending, humans gathered all together and formed an alliance to fight against the dragons.

The one, who killed one of the tailed monsters, sealed it into an amulet to prevent its freedom. In the end six dragon-slayers managed to seal every dragon into one of these necklaces.

Every one of those six rebuilt the lands and created the world of the six kingdoms; every kingdom has their representing dragon, until today. That was the legend.

All royal families of each kingdom have an amulet. Mine has the amulet of the water dragon, the one that controls the sea. It was only a legend, a lot of villagers still believed in it, except for me, I didn’t believe in magic or such things.

Minutes passed by as I recalled my mother’s last words. My thoughts dominated my brain, until a knock brought me back to reality.

“Your Royal Highness.” One of the servants stood by my door.

It was time to go. I put mother’s necklace on the commode and left the room.

“Let the farce begin.”


	3. III.

_Elizabeta_

“We have to look for what?” I nearly shouted. This was completely insane.

“The water amulet.” Feliks repeated calmly while looking for dirt under his nails. He was trying to act casual but I knew he was just as nervous as I was.

All colour drained off my face.

“The water amulet, as in the water amulet of the royal family!? And how does this idiot expect us to get it? Those Beilschmidts have the most powerful army and fortification in the six kingdoms.” I tried to gain my breath.

The blonde stared out of window while rubbing his chin with his right hand, trying to form an idea in his head. After all, he was the mastermind of our crew.

“We could try to dress up as one of the soldiers and sneak in? You know that I am good at those things and I can find the perfect outfit for us.”

“I don’t know… We-”

The door clashed against the wall with Natalya standing in the doorframe, red-faced and completely out of breath. I was still asking myself who in his right mind would give us rooms and for the night in this inn. We were a ‘special’ group besides being pirates.

“Those bastards… I nearly killed one.” She swung her knife in her hand, trying to calm herself down.

“Nat, are you okay?” My voice showed a great amount of concern, but I knew she was all right; she was a strong woman after all.

“Well, I am, but those Idiots outside aren’t.” She grinned mischievously. Feliks stood up observing the men outside the window lying on the ground.

“Good Work, Nat. Now everyone is going to find out about us.”

Her face did not show any of her emotions even though a ton of thoughts were ranging through her head. Knowing her for years now; we knew that she was sorry for our sake, not for hers. She was glad to have those men’s arses kicked by herself.

“They deserved it.”, was all she had to say.

Just as I was on my way to the looking glass, loud noises and a woman’s scream was heard outside the inn. I turned around abruptly and ran to the window to witness an unpleasant scene. A huge crowd was gathering around the injured men. Great.

“Ehm Feliks, I think we may have a little problem.”

“Aw man. Like seriously? Karma isn’t on our side today.” he commented.

We took our stuff – the few things Feliks and Natalya could save before the ship burnt down- and ran downstairs. We were rushing down the stairs but I still had important information I had to get from Feliks.

“Feliks? I had forgotten to ask earlier, but what happened to the rest of the crew? You said half of it disappeared. What about those who survived?”

“Eliza, don’t worry about them, we separated to be less conspicuous. If we are spread, people won’t be afraid and suspect us of being members of a pirate crew”, he almost fell over his own feet but continued,” we three are the only ones in this area of the town. While they others try to get a ship, we have a mission to fulfil.”

I almost snorted at the mention of us being less conspicuous. We were on the run, not even 24 hours after the loss of the ship.

We reached the last steps of the stairs as Natalya stopped dead in her tracks and pulled us to the side.

“Guards.” She whispered.

She pulled a hand mirror out of her trousers, hold it in an angle that allowed her to look behind the corner to see the guards rummaging cupboards, opening doors of other guestrooms and looking under tables.

“They described the girl as a stunning young woman with flawless skin, dark blue-violet eyes and long light blonde hair. Did you rent a room to her, sir?” One of the town guards asked the owner of the inn.

“Yes, along with another girl with brown hair and green eyes. But there was also a third person, a young woman or man with blonde chin long hair and green eyes. They insisted to be put in one room.” He answered nervously.

Feliks rolled his eyes. The owner must have been confused with Feliks’ unique style just because the blonde pirate cared about his looks. He was fabulous after all.

The angry voices grew louder.

“We have to find a way out.” Feliks was normally a calm lad, but upon seeing the guards, he got a little nervous.

“We need to get to the kitchen.” Natalya added steadily.

“And where is the kitchen?”

Shortly after Natalya showed us the kitchen door with a tilting head, a big black shadow showed up behind her. Well there goes our chance of running without being seen.

“I have them!” He screamed.

“Run.” Natalya whispered darkly, surrounded by a creepy aura. Feliks and I sprinted towards the kitchen, thinking that I would never want to start an argument with Natalya. That girl could be very creepy.

Her frame wasn’t tall nevertheless she was strong and knew how to fight. She took her knife into her right hand, while blocking the guard’s hits with her left arm. Swinging her knife, she cut his throat, bringing him to fall on the floor; his hands clutching on his throat to stop the bleeding. Natalya wasn’t done yet, she could have left and run towards us but knowing her, she would injure all of the guards who meant to harm us. And so, she did just that; fighting off all of the guards as if they were some flies.

Feliks opened the kitchen’s door, pulling me inside with my hand.

“Darn it.” He muttered.

One of the guards was standing in front of us, watching us with careful eyes. I was a fighter; well if I had a blade or sword I could fight him but to hit a guy almost as high as a wardrobe with my bare hands was a hard task; especially when my body was still affected by the previous day.

“Found you.” He singed, running towards us.

I reacted by grabbing the nearest object on the table and hitting him with it. To my luck, he was knocked out instantly. I watched the object and smiled upon seeing what it was, looking at a surprised Feliks.

“Seriously? With a pan? Well at least it worked out.”

Just as we were about to leave the kitchen through the back door, Natalya joined us with only one little scratch on her arm, leaving a bloody mess in the hall.

“Girls, I just got a fabulous idea. We are totally going to go the castle tonight and steal the amulet.” Feliks exclaimed happily.

“Eh?” Natalya and I were stunned and too speechless when we saw at what he was implying to. On the wall was a notice saying ‘Ball for the Prince Beilschmidt. Tonight’s soirée will be held in the castle. Peasants will be granted to join the night, under control of the royal guards’.

A Ball which allowed peasants to join the royal family?

“This is going to be great.” Feliks shouted screamed enthusiastic while I whispered to myself how awful this is going to be.

 

* * *

_Gilbert_

It was in the late afternoon and every servant prepared the ballroom for tonight. A few of the royal guests were already here thinking they could talk to me and heighten their chances for their daughters to get chosen for my bride. My father wanted me to meet the ‘important’ guests before the castle would be filled with the ‘unroyal’ visitors. The so called peasant ball was held once in a year and was a unique soirée in the six kingdoms. I was glad to have the possibility to exchange the conversation partners for one evening and be able to talk with people who didn’t care about the latest fashion of the rich or how the new handsome Duke Edelstein was being seen dancing with another boring lady on a ball. I didn’t care about those particular things let alone that foolish Duke.

I was sitting on my awesome throne, waiting for Ludwig to come down from his room. At least he was allowed to be in the same room until the sun will go to sleep. He was too young to stay up so late, but as long as the daylight was streaming inside, he could join us.

“ _Bruder_.” Ludwig’s little frame ran up to me. He was smiling and happy to see me, just the way I loved to see him. Father came back from his conversation with the other princes of the neighbouring countries. Thankfully Edelstein wasn’t present.

“Gilbert. I think it’s time to strike a conversation with one of the lovely ladies and save a dance with them for tonight.” He ordered, knowing fully well that there were only royal women in the room. It wasn’t a secret that he favoured a promising match for me, in form of royalty, money and power.

It wasn’t worth to start an argument with him, he was still very angry from yesterday; when I left him alone to deal with the guests. I strutted with a confident stance across the room, my head held high, trying to recognise some people I was acquainted with. Someone tapped on my left shoulder; turning around I couldn’t wipe off my smile upon seeing who it was.

“ _Bonjour, mon ami_.”

“Francis, you old chap. How are you?” I was so happy to finally have someone found in this room who I had befriended years ago.

“ _Ça va, et toi_?”

I wasn’t fluent in French, but I understood some of it.

“Well, as you can see …”

“Oui quel dommage. I heard of it, being forced to marry someone in order to save the royal bloodline. I am glad, my father isn’t pushing me to fulfil his wishes, but I am not the one, whose country is depending on marriage.”

I sighed, it was all hopeless.

“ _Ja_ , I hope one day, he will understand me. I don’t want this.”

“Have you met my cousin? She’s also attending the ball. Her name is Lady Emma Van Haegen.”

Oh yes, that girl. Well she was lovely, had grace and elegance although her appearance didn’t let my heart beat faster.

“Yes, I heard of her -“

Francis sprinted to his cousin, pulled her with him to introduce her properly to me.

“ _Voilà_. Here she is.”

So much for ‘properly introducing’; at least I could try and save a dance with her, only to satisfy my father and to do a favour for Francis.

“Hello.” She said shyly after she curtsied. Her bright green eyes were searching for mine.

“ _Guten Tag_. Would you like to have a dance with me tonight?”

There are two groups of women, those who fear my strange looks and those who find me fascinating and attractive. Watching her reaction after my question confirmed that Lady Emma belongs to the latter group. She nodded, clearly affected by my awesome looks.

At least my father wouldn’t bother me tonight.

I was left alone with Francis as she made her way back to her companions.

“That’s the spirit.” Francis smirked and clapped his hands together.

“Want some ale?”

“ _Mais bien sûr_.” He smiled his charming smile, making the present ladies melt.

If I had to be stuck here all night in this stuffy room then alcohol would be a great companion along with talking to Francis.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Belgium hasn’t an official name (well there are several suggestions. Sometimes I read in a fanfic the name “bel” or “bella” but I don’t think it really suits her. Well that’s more a matter of taste), so I decided to name her ‘Emma Van Haegen’. I really like that name and my Belgian great grandmother was called Emma. So it’s kind of an headcanon :3.]
> 
> Translations:  
> Bruder - Brother  
> Bonjour, mon ami – Hello, my friend  
> Ça va, et toi – Fine and you?  
> Oui quel dommage – Yes, what a pity  
> Ja - yes  
> Voilà – Well/so  
> Guten Tag – Good afternoon/Good day  
> Mais bien sûre – But of course


	4. IV.

_Elizabeta_

“Oh, you look absolutely fabulous. Like totally gorgeous.”

“Feliks, could you please stop complimenting the pony?” I mumbled, shooting him a questioning look. Natalya shook her head, going into the abandoned stable. It was the only hideaway we had found within few kilometres. We were on the run after all and luck was on our side, for once. Fortunately we could escape without being seen by any town guards and weren’t followed. Natalya’s head perked out of the stable, motioning with her hand, that everything was alright.

“No one seems to live in it.”

Feliks watched Natalya with an angry expression.

“That means, this beautiful pony was left behind by its owners!? What an abdominal stupid pack.”

It was a miracle to find this shelter uninhabited near the village and without any royal guards to control anything. Remaining here too long would be a suicide mission; we needed to succeed our mission and save my father. Hopefully.

Being in Captain Roberts claws was dangerous; almost everyone he had abducted was killed. We must find him.

“Is everything alright, Eliza?”

I hadn’t noticed the teardrops on my cheek.

“Yes, I am fine, just thinking too much.” I never cried, hardly ever. My tears were silent and if I had the urge to cry, then it happened in private. Sympathy was something I hated; no matter who showed it to me.

“Don’t worry, we are going to save him. Look fabulous Misses Pony wants you to pet her.”

Feliks’ friendly smile heightened my spirits, so did the cute pony.

“You already gave her a name,” Natalya shook her head with a sigh, “Always the same.”

We entered the stable while the sun was on its way to sleep and the cold wind was picking up.

“We totally need to buy or borrow a dress for you, otherwise the guards won’t let you enter the castle.”

“But they said that it will be a ball where peasants could attend. So what does it matter what she looks like?” Natalya’s question was reasonable.

“Yes, but they will be under the watch of the guards. We cannot afford that. When Lizzie looks like a royal guest, then she can approach the Prince. I could accompany her as her footman or you as her chaperone. And when hell breaks loose and the guards suspect us, they will evacuate the castle and we can pretend to be villagers who just happen to have bought a nice dress for Lizzie and escape the ball. If there is a whole town in the ballroom, then things can be difficult for the guards to handle. Every royal guest is acquainted with each other, but not with the peasants. They don’t know everyone and that is a huge advantage for us.” Feliks’ plan was perfect, except for one thing.

“Mh. And where do we get those royal-looking clothes?” I questioned Feliks again. What kind of dressing shop would sell clothes at that time of hour?

“Oh darn it.” Feliks muttered, playing with the end of his dirty white cotton shirt.

“We could abduct one of the female guests and dress you up in her clothes.” Natalya suggested.

Silence filled the stable until Feliks’ face showed a sign of objection for a few seconds before a mischievous grin replaced it.

“Well, that’s the only logical plan we have and we already are a criminal pack of pirates, so it wouldn’t hurt to do it.”

“Then let’s do it.”

We made our way through the little forest which separated the barn from the village. Less than an hour later, the castle came into view with its court filled with joyful villagers. Carriages were placed in front of the main entrance. We had a full view of the royal guests and hid behind the nicely cut hedges. The best idea at the moment was to sneak out if the opportunity was given.

“Wow, that’s a lot of carriages… and people.” Natalya’s boring look couldn’t beat Feliks’ excited look. Oh no… Not that look.

“Oh my Gosh, girl, you totally are going to look fabulous if you would wear that dress! And she doesn’t look like a high member of a royal family, more like a rich daughter or wife of some knight.” He was pointing his fingers at a beautiful young woman in a dark green empire dress with blonde hair. She left the main entrance, descended the golden stairs, searching for something. Apparently she was looking for her carriage and her footman was following her. Feliks’ grin grew wider.

“Oh! Karma is on our side. She must have forgotten something. Let’s follow her and then grab her.”

We followed her until she was near the carriage in the back of the yard, taking the chance to knock her out before she could react with a high-pitched scream. Natalya took the young woman’s footman down. I got in the coach dressing up, while Feliks put on the footman’s clothes. Panic came over me, noticing something I wasn’t thinking about only 5 minutes ago.

“What if friends of hers who are attending the ball, detect that I am not her? She has blonde hair and well I have brown hair and-”

“Calm down. Normally every aristocratic woman has a supply of wigs. I mean like tons of wigs.” He entered the coach, rummaging through trunks of clothing.

“Found one!” He pressed a long blonde wig into my hands, “Just for the record, both of you share the same shade of eye colour. I bet most of the visitors are wasted and wouldn’t notice anything.” He added with a wink. I adjusted the wig on my head, plucked brown hair strands in it. Feliks helped me with the hairstyling.

That dress was really hard to put on; being dressed like an elegant woman was very unusual. How was I supposed to run in this?

“Feliks, I am going to take care of those two”, Natalya pointed at the two unconscious frames, “and you will accompany Elizabeta as her footman.”

The plan was spontaneous but it was a plan nonetheless. Carrying her and the footman over both of her shoulders, Natalya made her way out of the courtyard without being seen. She would be looking for our crew on the shore. They already had planned to meet up there when I was lying unconscious in the inn’s room. Hopefully they had found a ship.

“Beautiful is really an understatement upon looking at you. You totally need to wear more dresses.” Feliks complimented me with a big honest smile.

“You are going to be fine. I will bring you to the entrance and excuse myself to the guard, saying that I need to move our carriage to another place, so I can check up any paths to get out of the castle if we are being chased. I will join you later. If you see the amulet on one’s neck, give me a sign and try to distract them, I will bump into them and grab it. We are going to find a way to get it somehow and save your father. I promise you.” He hugged me and my mouth formed a happy smile. My friends were simply the best.

He smiled and took my arm as we walked to the main door and stopped in front of it.

“Excuse me Sir, I need to move the carriage. Have a night evening Miss.”

“Alright, Elizabeta, you are going to be fine. It’s time to act like a wealthy woman.” I whispered to myself, ignoring the stare of the guard who completely ignored Feliks.

* * *

 

  _Gilbert_

“And then, he fell from the table because he slipped on an apple! Can you believe it? An apple!!!” I burst out laughing, hearing Francis’ hilarious tale about his friend. Our laughter echoed through the ballroom making the few people around our group turn around and glare at us. How unawesome. I wasn’t even drunk. This was only my second drink and I could hold my liquor perfectly. Apparently those royal guests had no good humour.

“I hope that someday something funny like that would happen here.” I commented with a giggle.

“If I am here, then believe me, _mon ami_ , the evening is going to be extraordinary. Wait for my cousin; you will be enchanted when you get to know her. Unfortunately I have to leave you now.” He tapped on my shoulder, walked to a group of women which accompanied him at the beginning of this ball.

Shaking my head, I went outside on the balcony admiring nature’s masterpiece of trees and flowers. I’ve always loved the garden. Father never cared about it until he met my mother, as she had told me. It was her spirit that caught his attention and he wanted to impress her, saying that the flowers in the garden were reminding him of her. Still those flowers couldn’t emphasize her beauty and soul. She always carried me here to watch the stars, admiring the night sky while singing a beautiful lullaby to me.

“Your Royal Highness.”

I looked to my right to see one of the royal guards. He had a black eye and seemed to be in a very distressed state. Raising a brow I asked him what had occurred to his eye.

“I am afraid, but I must inform you of some sort of danger.”

“Danger? What sort of danger?”

“Well yes. I must tell you, that something happened in the village this afternoon. There was a group of our men who were almost slaughtered down”, he breathed nervously but continued nonetheless, “Upon investigation the case, we were on our way to arrest the culprits, two women and a young man who was dressed in feminine-looking clothes, but we were defeated by them. As it turned out, those three are members of a pirate crew-“

“Pirates!?” I swore under my breath.

“Yes. They were hiding in an inn, and-“

“Did you catch them?”

“I am afraid, no Your Highness. They got away and are still on the run.”

Great. Pirates invading my country and my guards couldn’t catch them, but what would happen if my father will learn of this? Damn. He would refuse to let peasants into the castle and I couldn’t let that happen. They deserved to dance, to celebrate to be a Prince or Princess for one night. Just like my mother wanted it.

The guard was watching me with careful eyes; he had a great amount of respect for me.

“Send a few of your best men and the royal infantry to the village. They should guard the shore and castle. Don’t tell the king, it will only upset him. If you find them, inform me instantly.”

“Yes Your Highness.”

Pirates… I never fought against them, but when it comes to protect the people I love and my homeland, than I would battle them. Watching the sun set, I made my way back to the ballroom. It’s time to fulfil my role as Prince, spreading my awesomeness through the room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:  
> Mon ami – my friend


	5. V.

_Elizabeta_

 

I hadn’t realised how many of the guests were staring at me. Was it my appearance? My dress? Did they know my real identity? I hid my face partly behind a fan I found in the carriage of the woman I was trying to imitate. The looks I received got stranger. Before I could start to panic, a tall blonde man strutted towards me and grabbed my hand softly.

“There you are, cousine Emma. I see you grabbed your fan. You look magnifique ” He declared happily. I was too shocked to answer him. Unfortunately he was acquainted with ‘me’. His hold on my hand got stronger as he was witnessing that I was struggling with my words.

“Emma? Is everything alright?”

“Ehh, yes, yes. I was so flattered by your compliment. Thank you very much.” I stuttered.

I must have looked like a gaping fish behind the fan. He only smiled and led me into a grand room full of decorations and golden walls, supported by huge pillars. The ceiling was stunning; every scene that was painted on it told a story. It was drawn by a talented artist who must have dedicated half of his lifetime to it to create such a masterpiece. I’ve never seen such a grand ballroom in my whole life. It was beautiful and the view made me speechless. How could they afford such luxury? I didn’t know the name of the man, who was walking with me to a group of young women, but I knew by now that I was his cousin called Emma and that he was definitely French.

And again was it doubt that filled my mind until I heard them talking about the amulet.

“I’ve never seen it before, so I hope the prince will wear it tonight.” One of the women exclaimed happily.

“It shows his fortune and power. Not a soul wants to declare war on this land, as long as they have the amulet. I hope he will dance with me tonight.”

“With that dress you are wearing? Oh Darling, His Royal Highness will only look at those women who wear pompous clothes.” They all started to giggle after this comment.

I didn’t understand that kind of people; judging others by their appearance, only to satisfy their urge to gossip about something in order to feel self-confident.

“Pardon my ladies, to disappoint you but my dear cousin here, was given the opportunity to dance with the prince.”

Apparently these arrogant girls were just as shocked as I was. I am going to do what!? I could feel the jealous glares on my form, giving me an uncomfortable feeling.

“Well you are a lucky girl, Lady Emma.” One of them commented.

“L-L-Lady?” I stuttered.

Emma was a Lady? Oh Lord no. One does not learn the etiquette of social behaviour as a pirate. Nevertheless it would give me the chance to get the necklace easily.

“I met him earlier and introduced her to him. For your disappointment, I must inform you that the prince is not wearing the necklace tonight.” He added.

Damn. My only hope was the King; perhaps he would wear it tonight. But how was I supposed to get near the amulet, when His Majesty was wearing it?

A few of the villagers entered the ballroom, taking their distance from the royal guests. I still couldn’t believe that this was happening.

The aristocrats and poor inhabitants gathered together in one room. On top of that, all of this was occurring under the King’s roof.

The atmosphere was filled with different emotions; awe, disgust, excitement and tenseness. Very awkward. Guards were acting as a wall, separating high-class form low-class. My head sweated under the heat of the wig and the dress felt heavy.

A few trumpets blew before a loud voice rang out through the room, indicating loudly that the royal family was attending.

“It’s always the same. In the afternoon the royal family greets the other royal guests with tea and snacks. And in evening, when villagers are allowed to dance here, the King and Prince are showing off their wealth and power, with a pompous entrance.” The tall blonde man explained next to me.

“But why are they attending it in the afternoon and in the evening? It seems really exhausting to plan an all-day dance?” I questioned the whole concept of this ball. Being royal was sure a pain in the arse.

“You are excused, because it is your first ball you are attending to. In the afternoon, they welcome people of royal heritage. Mostly the King talks with his royal allies about plans, arranged marriages or other things. The prince has the possibility to ask the Ladies for a dance for tonight. His father wants him to have a bride of royal blood.” He smiled, pointing at the villagers, “Their presence was only possible because of the former Queen; God rest her soul. She always loved to be near the commonalty. ‘Everyone has the right to be happy and to have a great evening’ she always said. Upon asking her husband, he allowed the peasants to attend a royal ball, every evening, in order to have the feeling of being a prince or princess. For her, everyone deserved to be happy. Until today, it is seen as a traditional ball in honour for the deceased Queen.”

This really was an odd royal family.

“That is very thoughtful of her.” I muttered to myself still wondering how the French hadn’t uncovered my disguise yet.

I hadn’t noted the royal family entering the room. Music started to fill the room. My focus wasn’t on the royal family, being too busy to watch the dancing couples. Spending all my life on a ship didn’t gave me much opportunity to witness such a fancy ball. I needed to remind myself of my mission.

The blonde looked at me strangely, putting his hand on my fan which I was still using to hide my face.

“You know, the Prince cannot dance with you, when you are using this.”

Oh no. I almost forgot about that. My eyes grew wide seeing that a good-looking white-haired lad was making his way to us. Was he the prince? His cocky grin was visible from a distance, strengthening my urge to hit him. As he came closer, something metallic on his neck reflected in the light.

Realisation hit me the moment he was standing in front of me. The necklace… He was wearing it.

 

* * *

 

_Gilbert_

 

“Your Royal Highness?”

Oh no, not again. I was only on my way inside and no one could leave me alone. My annoyed stare must have frightened the servant. His head sank and he muttered an apology.

“Please accept my apologies, your father, the King, asked if you are wearing the necklace from your mother tonight.”

I stared blankly at him. Of course, as always my father wanted me to show off our power. Weren’t people already aware of it?

“Fine. Tell him I will wear it.” I grumbled with a shaking head. The King exaggerated, but I was used to it and couldn’t object. Having been grown up in a golden cage, I had to live the life he has planned for me, to marry someone I didn’t love and pretend to be happy about it.

A nurse approached me with a tired Ludwig in her arms after the shy servant rushed back to the King. My smile reached my ears as I saw my baby brother. He was such a dear little child.

“I will carry him upstairs.” I took him into my arms, felt his calm breathing and went into his bedroom.

I didn’t know how much time had passed when I sat on my brother’s bed, watching him sleep until a knock sounded on the door.

“Prince Gilbert?”

I walked in big steps out of the room, leaving the confused servant standing in front of Ludwig’s chamber. I didn’t care. Before I went to the ballroom, I fetched the necklace with the amulet and put it on. The trumpets sounded and I knew it was time to brace myself for the dancing.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, His Royal Highness Prince Gilbert Beilschmidt of Borussia!”

“The awesome Prince Gilbert.” I breathed.

As always people were flashed by my awesomeness; with my grin I went down to the filled room, fulfilling my task in dancing with Lady Emma. My father shot me an approving look while he was walking to his throne. Music started to play. Perfect.

I saw my dance partner hiding her face with a hand fan. She observed the dancing couples but snapped out of her daze when I walked towards her. The young lady looked up to me and seemed nervous. It must have been my awesomeness. Francis watched my steps, winking me and reassured her to be fine. She was shortly left alone when he took his leave and her fan.

“Your Royal Highness.” She curtsied after she addressed me rather monotone.

“Lady Emma.” I didn’t know what struck me more; her voice or her eyes. It was all different from the afternoon. Her face seemed older and more feminine; she was really beautiful. I shook my head watching her visage again. Maybe the alcohol was already affecting my ears and vision.

“Allow me to pay you a compliment. You look stunning.”

Instead of a shy smile or an appreciation for my compliment, she glared at me. Did I do something wrong?

“Do you always flatter women with that kind of charm?” She criticised.

I stared wide-eyed at her. Unbelievable, did she just criticised my awesome charm?

“I-I-I beg your pardon?” I stammered, still watching her with a shock-filled face. She smirked, seeing my reaction. She smirked!? She couldn’t be the same person. A brown strand of hair was visible under her blonde hair. Wait? Was she wearing a wig? She stared at the necklace on my neck. Was she so stunned by it? This was strange and in that moment my brain began to work again. Thankfully the alcohol hadn’t influenced my senses.

That person I was dancing with wasn’t Lady Emma.

It must be one of the pirates. I refused to call for the guards immediately, they would stop the ball and everything would end in chaos. Maybe I could pretend to play along.

My body grew tense as the music played a joyful song.

How fitting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I chose to give Gilbert the title ‘Prince of Borussia’ because Borussia is the Latin name for Preußen aaaannd I am a huge Borussia Dortmund fan, so Gilbert of Borussia it is :D (I know, very creative :’D). The next chapter will contain another Point of View :3. I wanted to thank for all those who are taking their time reading, following and favouring my story. I never imagined it would gain so many feedback in such a short time. So Thank you :DD ]
> 
> Translations:  
> Cousine – cousin  
> Magnifique - wonderful


	6. VI.

_Elizabeta  
_

What should I think of him? He was a handsome man, strong, well-mannered and unfortunately extremely self-opinionated. The arrogance his face mirrored illuminated the room, making me wish to not be near him. His eyes on the other hand held something that caught my attention. However I could not define it yet I felt a connection to him, much to my chagrin. My sight fell back on the necklace, the one important object that would save my father.

“How was your day, Your Highness?”

Why I had asked him was unknown to me, my mouth had spoken before I could prevent it, but I felt the need to break the tension between us which was starting to get me on my nerves.

“Well, it was aweso- Autsch!”

He glared at me after I stepped accidently on his foot. Dancing surely wasn’t my talent.

“Forgive me.” I muttered.

“I did not know that your dancing skills were so poor, Lady Emma.” He grinned with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, showing that he was not amused.

“Well, I was distracted by –“

“By the awesome me. I know.”

“What?” I watched him careful with a dumbfounded face.

“Who wouldn’t be smitten by me?” His smirk was extremely annoying, making me angry to the point that I slammed my foot on his expensive boots. Red was the colour which dominated his face as he tried his hardest to hold back a little scream. After all I used the high heel of my shoe.  
“I am afraid; I did not see your foot.” I said, almost laughing at his expression.

The guards near us watched our ‘friendly’ encounter while the Prince tried his best to look like he was having fun even though he watched me with careful eyes. Said crimson eyes stared back at the guards and me. His smile though didn’t cease making it very clear that he was hiding something behind his false grin. Did he know something? I could not risk failure when the amulet was in front of me. Fooling him further and stealing the necklace, was the only plan I had. Therefore the first attempt had to be put into action.

“Forgive me my foolish behaviour. I am nervous and very honoured to have the chance to meet you.” I looked up at him with the sweetest expression I could give and an innocent smile, hoping to trap him with my charms.

“D-Don’t concern yourself with it.” His eyes held mine for seconds. It was an awkward situation which made the both of us blush. Oh please, let this dance end soon.

Did my cheeks just turn red because of that obnoxious jerk? As if God in heaven had heard my pleas, the music stopped. I needed to calm myself down and create a plan. How am I going to fetch the necklace off his neck without him noticing it? Seeing that the doors to the balcony were open I rushed outside alone, leaving a red-faced prince behind in a surrounding full of joy and amusement. While making my way outside, I saw Feliks in the ballroom looking for me. Giving him a nod, he looked at the Prince and back to me with a relieved smile. The amulet was the first thing he must have seen. Before I reached the doors though, the blonde haired man who claimed to be ‘my cousin’ approached me.

“Emma, how was the-,” his eyes grew wide upon seeing my face. “Who are you?” he asked with a dark voice. I turned towards him, looking to the guards who were on their way to the Prince.

Damn. Grabbing the French man by his arm I pulled him to the balcony.  
“I am sorry, but I had to switch clothes with your beloved cousin. Nothing bad happened to her. Don’t worry.”

A new musical melody started to play inside, reflecting a contented mood in contrast of the atmosphere I was facing the moment.

He was beyond upset and grabbed my arm harshly. “Nothing bad? Where the hell is she and what do you mean ‘you had to switch clothes’?” He growled before turning around to call the guards. Feliks quickly made his way to the man who still held my wrist forcefully, with the attempt to strike him.

My eyes fell on my former dance partner.

With the Prince’s observing stare on me, his eyes couldn’t hide his thoughts and emotions.

He knew. He knew exactly who I was and what was going on.

“Guards!” He commanded harshly.

The called men reacted instantly and raced towards me as Feliks was grabbed from behind from one of the soldiers. Fighting him off, Feliks was too occupied to come to my rescue. Even if we succeeded, dozens of trained guards were awaiting us. We were no match.

The music had faded long ago. Fully aware what was happening, the attending guests around us looked shocked, afraid and mostly disgusted; the last one made me the angriest.

It was the first time I knew that only a miracle had to happen to save us from this situation. And it did happen.

“Your Royal Highness.” The shouting boomed through the castle. “There had been an attempt of abduction.”

Two Guards entered the room. In company of the blonde-haired girl we had knocked out before. A warm jacket enclosed her shivering form.

She looked very pale and weak.

“Francis?” Her whispering tone was loud enough for every one present in the room to hear.

“Emma!” The man let go of me the instant he saw his beloved family member. I on the other hand stood frozen on my spot, looking for Natalya. Fortunately they hadn’t caught her.

“The culprit is still on the run, but two of our best swordsmen are following her.”

Despite the chaotic scenario which had taken place only moments ago, the two new guards had not noticed yet, how tense the mood amongst the visitors were.

“Her?” Francis asked stunned.

Gilbert’s face darkened, analysing the told story. His fists were clenched, his breathing uneven and an angry energy was glowing off his form. The Prince was raging.

Instead of escaping, I took advantage of the distraction and sprinted to the Royal heir, knocking him out in the process with a hit in the neck. Immediately the guards were reacting as I kneeled beside him to open the closure of the necklace. To my dismay, it wouldn’t open.

“Come on.” I hissed completely annoyed by the situation.

Feliks who could free himself from the guard’s hold during this interaction, ran to my side, shouting we needed to escape before the guards could arrest us. Without thinking I grabbed the Prince of Borussia, threw him over my shoulder and made a run for it.

We jumped over the railing. It wasn’t high for us, thankfully.

I didn’t know where we would run, as long as we could flee without being killed. The weight of the foolish Prince was slowing me down, bringing me to pause for a few moments. After running for what felt like hours we arrived our destination.

“Look, Eliza, we are almost at the shore.”

I smiled. We could escape and the most important of all, we had the amulet.

* * *

  _Natalya  
_

It was an easy job for me to abduct a person and leaving the scene unnoticed.  
Before Elizabeta’s crew adopted me, my biological family trained me to obtain skills in martial arts, swordsmanship and gunmanship. My main job was to be a professional assassin and could kill in a blink of an eye. Just like my parents were. Carrying unconscious persons over my shoulder were a routine for me. And I have never been caught in action. Until this evening.

The night almost enclosed the sky while I was making my way out of the castle’s court; walking behind the hedges and sculptures of former Kings and Queens. My hair was pulled back and hidden under a hood. Avoiding light and observing my surroundings, I took care to watch out for guards or soldiers. My feet slowed me down as two different muffled voices near the gate I was heading to, broke the silence.

“The General informed me that Pirates are lurking around in this town. Two women and a man were almost caught this afternoon. We are ordered to reinforce the troops, especially in this area and the port. Colonel Laurinaitis has already alarmed his most skilled men. He will send a few of them to us to guard this gate.”

I frowned. They had been alarmed and were increasing their armed forces.

The floor suddenly scrunched under the weight of some running soldiers just as I was about to look for another way. I ducked in time behind a sculpture made out of stone. It was big enough to hide me and the persons who ‘accompanied’ me but could still give me enough view to observe the scene ahead of me. The light was very poor in this area.

A group of men joined the two others who were just talking a few moments ago.

“Colonel Laurinaitis, at your service!” Both of the guards saluted in unison.

The company’s arms and legs were protected byboiled leather. Their chests were armoured with mail chains. They were ready for a fight but I was able to beat since I wasn’t wearing heavy armour.

I counted dozens of infantrymen and their leader, the so-called Colonel. He stood out from all the others with his green decorated military uniform under his light mail armour. Chestnut-brown hair tied back in a short ponytail, his longsword was attached on his left hip. This man would be the hardest to beat.

“Soldiers, you are aware of the current danger threatening our land and kingdom. We must protect the castle and villagers at all costs,” He smiled determinate at his men “Therefore ten of you will inspect the shore, the other will look here at the castle for the culprits.” His voice held kindness and authority

This plan was carried into act very fast, five of the professional soldiers made their way to the said location. Five of them stayed behind.

“Mmmh.”

I looked at the fainted girl on my shoulder who was stirring lightly.

“Chocolat” She muttered incoherently. Unfortunately, one of the soldier’s head turned around, watching the sculpture I was hiding behind, giving his comrade a sign.

My lips let out a sigh, preparing myself to fight. Feeling a presence behind me, I dropped the hostages and attacked the enemy.

All the others present fighters focused on me after witnessing their fellow’s downfall. I had no further difficulties in defeating the other soldiers one by one. Minutes passed and my mind was switched into battle modus which was a huge mistake, considering that there was a high member of the military present. I had lost sight of the colonel during my victorious combats with his underlings. Before I could react, a heavy sword pressed against my neck from behind, forcing me to be left unarmed.

My beloved knives met the floor instantly.

The pressure of the blade against my skin increased as he inquired about my identity.

“Who are you?” The once kind undertone of his voice disappeared completely and was replaced with darkness. This must have resulted out of the fact that I had attacked his beloved comrades. I refused to give an answer, testing his patience with me.

“Why did you kidnap these two innocents? Where is the rest of your crew?” He must have looked to the unconscious frames, lying ungraceful on the ground. Taking my chance at his carless move, my hands took a hold of his sword and tried to shove it off with my bare fingers. It was a contra productive action because his grip got only stronger. His feet pushed me forward on my knees.

I had clearly underestimated him which made me even angrier, I never lose. If those last few days hadn’t worn me out, I would have been able to fight him properly. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got about the occurring situation.

“To make a stand against me and the kingdom is futile. In the name of the King you are under arrest, turn around and state your name.” The Colonel ordered in a calm but demanding tone.

Drops of sweat were forming on my forehead. I hadn’t gotten any energy in form of food or water the last 24 hours and the consequences were affecting my body. Perfect timing.

A miracle had to happen to save me from this pathetic situation. What was this man’s weakness?

“I don’t want to repeat myself.” The volume of his voice was the same as before however the tenseness grew.

I reluctantly turned around; my bloody hands reached to my hood and pulled it down. My long light blonde hair fell gracefully over my shoulders. The poor light in this area illuminated my face faintly but he could still see that I was a woman. Instead of looking up, I refused to acknowledge him and stared at the ground, thinking about ways to escape the piteous scene. His shadow moved; he got on one knee and to my disfavour closer to me.

“Please look up.” The once commanding voice sounded extremely soft. Or was I imaging things?

My eyes met his only seconds after his demand. At first his pair of careful green eyes gazed at me with a wide-eyed look, showing perplexity, but softened afterwards and I noticed an emotion in his face I often saw when men were faced with women or children on the battlefield. It was hesitation.

“You are a woman.” He whispered in awe.

“You don’t say.” I remarked flatly, giving him a keenly cold stare.

Expecting a hit or snarky comment from him due my sarcastic answer, the Colonel removed his weapon from me with light red cheeks while staring at my bloody hands.

“Your h-hands.”

Was he stuttering? I was used to men’s reaction when they saw me for the first time, but this encounter was a complete new experience, for the both of us. The only difference was that he seemed to be more touched by it than I was.

Within a second, I realised what was happening.

I had found his weakness; it was me.

Without much thinking I took his sword hand, breaking its bones and kicked him with all the energy I had left in my body and fled.

“W-Wait!”

Ignoring the call I ran towards the shore in the hopes of avoiding further guards. Running through the dark night I held onto the beliefs that Elizabeta and Feliks could accomplish the mission safely.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I hope this chapter is okay, I am again in my “My English is so bad I can’t write a proper sentence”-phase :’D. Sometimes I am so unsure of my English-skills (thanks to my teacher, who also said that one of my classmates, who speaks English at home, is not capable of speaking English fluently :’D well then :’D). So Prussia just got abducted and Lithuania met Natalya (and the ship started its sails~). Liet is a strong fighter and I could imaging him as a great Colonel, being fierce in battle but still kind to his men, he cares for them and that’s why he was a little “unkind” towards Nat, because she hurt them. But that changed quickly as he laid his eyes on her face for the first time *cough* cheesy *cough* and I can’t think of him as one who would hurt women on purpose.]


	7. VII.

_Feliks_

“Where are the guards?” Lizzie asked with a concerning face. We were suspicious of every noise we heard. It was totally strange that the beach was unguarded.

“Maybe Nat took care of it?” I grinned; Nat could tear apart thousands of men while doing her nails.

“I hope. But after days without having eaten, she must be very careful. My legs already feel weak and I am tired,” she looked at the Prince “he is also getting heavy minute by minute.”

“Yeah. But I am still able to put up a fight.”

We walked in silence for a few minutes as one person came running towards us. At first we suspected him to be one of the guards before he shouted our names.

“Elizabeta, Feliks!”

“Thank God. Mathias, I thought you were a guard.” Liz sighed relieved.

How the man’s hair could still remain in its apparently ‘natural’ spiky form after sprinting towards us was beyond my knowledge. The tall blonde crewmember halted in front of us with a big grin, shooting Lizzie a funny look.

“Oh, hello there blondie.”

Lizzie’s wig was still placed on her head, quite messy with brown strands sticking out of it. Whether it was good secured or luck that it did not fell out during our running escape, I did not know. Said woman imitated a sarcastic laugh, empathising that she was not amused.

“Just kidding Liz.”

Mathias grin ceased the moment he saw Prince Gilbert on her shoulder. His right brow arched upwards while his blue eyes were shooting Lizzie’s ‘package’ a questioning look.

“Who is that?”

We gave him a nervous smile.

“Oh… Don’t tell me… If we are to capture a ship of the royal marine, then what should it matter if we take the royal heir with us too?” His blue eyes changed from dumbfounded to a mischievous.

“He’s wearing the necklace… By the way have you seen Nat?”

The mischief on his face disappeared; motioning with a shaking head that he had no idea where Nat could be.

Shit.

She was very capable of taking care of herself and I never doubt her skills of surviving or fighting, but I had a bad feeling about it. Elizabeta shared the same worries as I; I could feel it.

“So Mathias, we have a ship from the Royal Marine. What about the guards?” Lizzie’s voice was strained with worry and disbelief.

“I know it sounds strange, but it was unguarded. They weren’t expecting any attack from foreigners or pirates. We hadn’t checked everything; I can already tell you that we do not have a lot of supplies. Especially the medical materials are missing.” His tall frame started to march with us to our ‘new’ ship.

Our steps were muted by the sand. Moments later we were aware of other footsteps following us. My feet’s pace quickened without looking behind us; I was far too tired to turn around and face the culprit until I heard a weary familiar voice calling my name.

Natalya was like right behind us. Thank goodness.

“Natalya!” Facing her with a crushing hug, a desperate relieved sigh escaped my lips.

“I got entangled in a fight. They will send an armada to track us down. Someone may be right behind me.” She told us nonchalantly, lacking any emotion while her panting told me otherwise. Looking behind her, I did not see anyone.

At first I didn’t notice her stance but observing her now shocked me a bit. She seemed completely worn out.

“Have you got the necklace?” Nat asked.

“Yes, we got it,” Lizzie patted the hostage’s shoulder, “and there was a very dramatic scene in the ballroom. We almost got caught-“

“I don’t want to stress, but we cannot stand here and chat all night.”

“Understo-” My heart stopped the moment I laid my eyes on Nat’s hands. What the hell happened? I saw a great amount of blood ran out of the deep cuts. She seemed to put all of her weight on one of her feet. Taking her hands softly I motioned to Mathias that we needed to get faster to the vessel.

During the walk I had felt a pair of careful eyes watching every step and breath we took; either it was an animal or a guard. The latter one seemed almost impossible. Why wouldn’t he then attack us or ran back and call his army? We were abducting his precious Prince after all.

“We are almost there!” Mathias exclaimed happily.

Being completely aware of the stressful circumstances, the rest of the crew was packing the most important food, weapons and other materials onto the big battleship. A few of the members we thought missing, were there, but the number of our team had been decreased. That’s why new faces of people unknown to me were loading our vessel. They were new crewmembers.

“I see you had been able to recruit new men.” I commented.

Mathias smirked after telling us how they got them to join a notorious pirate gang.

“Do you see the tall man there on board?”

“You mean with almost the same hairstyle as you?” I winked making him laugh.

“Yes, him. I can tell you he is a great fighter and worth a hundredth soldiers. His little brother did not want to be alone so he joined too. But I suppose we have to make a stopover for provisions,” He looked over at an injured Natalya, “and for medical care of course.”

“So you are telling me that we have no doctor on board?” Lizzie asked with nervousness. Mathias confirmed her question with a nod, clapped my shoulder and boarded our new floating wooden home.

A noisy rustling disturbed the relieved atmosphere, making me turn around. Natalya was still supported by my arm getting drowsier every second. No one seemed to have noticed the disturbance.

“Feliks?”

Snapping out of my thoughts I looked over at Lizzie who waited impatiently for me. I couldn’t think too much about it, we needed to flee and treat Nat’s wounds.

“Yeah, coming.” My feet moved, leaving me to overthink everything that had happened the last few days, from today’s evening, the Prince’s abduction and Nat’s condition. But the thing that gave me the most to think about it was the ominous noise. Someone had followed us. I was mostly sure of it.

* * *

_Toris_

“W-Wait!” I called with an outstretched arm.

She had left before I could say anything else to her. Still being in trance, my eyes stared at the gate her frame had escaped moments ago. Considering my environment I looked at my injured comrades and the two civilians. How was she able to defeat four of my best men? How could such a beautiful face carry out such violent actions?

My heart was still pounding wildly in my chest thinking about her. A perfect bone-structured face framed by silky long white-blonde hair. But the most intriguing features of her face were those stunning dark blue-violet eyes. No matter how cold they were, they were still mesmerising and gorgeous. The bloody knives she had used lay in front of me, taking them carefully in my hands, I examined the handle. It was decorated with ornaments and dark blue stones, just like her perfect eyes, yet the red liquid on the blades did not match her appearance.

Snapping out of my thoughts, one of the soldiers groaned and steadied himself on his elbow. Exhaustingly he watched me.

“Colonel Laurinaitis?”

Seeing him coughing out blood, my senses came back to me. Instantly, the knives my hands held carefully were put into my sheath on my hips as my legs pushed me up. Just as I was about to take care of the wounded soldier, three of the men who were sent to the castle arrived with shocking faces.

“What has happened? We heard ruckus.”

“Pirate… A woman.” The man on the ground whispered.

Panic was written all over the three new faces. One could tell that they were at the beginning of their military training and had no experience in real combat.

“Soldiers, we have four wounded in action, two unconscious civilians who had been taken hostage. The perpetrator is on the run,” approaching them while ignoring the pain in my hand. ”Two of you will take care of them and the other one is going to accompany me.”

They looked at each other as if they were unsure of who was going to be on my side for the few hours. Given the situation, my finger pointed to the tallest of them. His glasses couldn’t hide his fear but instead of protesting, the man agreed to accompany me. Without losing much time, the soldiers took care of them and alarming the other guards and King while I was following the beautiful culprit. The man next to me nervously cleared his throat.

“C-Colonel?”

My green eyes gave him a friendly look. The poor guy was shaking a little, making me worry about him more than I should.

“Yes?”

For the second time within two minutes, he reached with a shaking hand his glasses, pushing it up his nose.

“Is it true? T-The wounded soldier said that it was a Woman, who struck them all down.”

“Y-Yes, it is true,” turning my head away from his sight, I continued, „It was a woman.” I answered with a light heated face.

Reflecting the scene with the Pirate, I grow excited to follow her. It was hope to see her again. Pictures of her silky stunning hair and angelic face crossed my mind. Never before have I seen such a breath-taking creature as her. Behind that beautiful face was a strong-willed spirit; how she handled her knives during a fight; a skilled brave female with a grace of a Goddess. With the thought of her came the sight of her hands. Blood was dripping off her elegant wounded fingers, an injury I had made with the wielding of my sword. This realisation crushed my calm mood. I had hurt her. But it was a normal reacting, considering the situation: someone had attacked my men and Kingdom. Knitting my brows together, my friendly smile faded. She had threatened the Kingdom making her an enemy of the King. Certainly I was her enemy too. For the time being I needed to distract myself from these reflections; my priority was to track her down along with her crew. Looking at the nervous soldier on my right, I saw him holding the handle of his sword with a shaking hand.

“What is your name?”

He blinked briefly before he could give me proper answer.

“Eduard.”

It was silent, except for our fast breaths and the crunching ground before I asked him something I was already aware of his answer.

“How long have you been in the army?”

Eduard panted but did not dodge my question.

“A few months...I had to join the army…” His voice held a certain amount of fear. Maybe he was scared of my reaction towards his reply.

“Do not fear. I know it is quite a difficult situation we are facing, but trust me, inexperience is not a burden. Soldiers without much knowledge of war still have their pure souls that make them human. It can be important in those situations. Besides, I am with you, so your protection is granted.”

In place of utter fear, his eyes lit up. Eduard’s expression relaxed, giving me a nod.

 

As we ran, a blurred dark frame came into view. My breath caught in my throat the moment I saw her feet struggling with the quick pace she was walking. Afraid of any other movement, Eduard stopped dead in his tracks. Fear dominated his face; he must have been very shocked by the former news of a woman being capable of fighting four professional soldiers off.

“T-There.” He mumbled tensely.

“Even if she is weakened at the moment, I doubt that she will surrender to us.” I whispered, observing the female Pirate in front of me. The wind was blowing in our direction, giving us the opportunity to hear her muttering.

“S-Stupid Guar-”

She couldn’t finish her ranting as she tripped on the rocky surface. Unfortunately the woman could not catch herself and fell. I hold my breath, watching in horror as her foot made a cracking sound. Under the shining moon, she remained on the ground, clutching her strained ankle.

“Damn…” The wounded female bit her lip.

Without thinking my legs made a few steps towards her, completely caught in trance. Before I did something stupid, I stopped, holding myself back. Eduard must have looked like a gaping fish with his stuttering noises his mouth made after witnessing my unbelievable move. The rustling that had been made by my walking feet startled her. My eyes locked with hers and it must have angered her, because the next move she made stunned me.

“You…” The coldness in her voice was harsh giving my heart an unpleasing pang. An angry aura hugged her frame; her eyes were burning with rage. My arms hang limp besides my body; I was not able to make any move, not even drawing my sword.

From behind, one could here footsteps and I knew it could only be Eduard.

“C-Colonel?”

As if the atmosphere wasn’t strange and awkward enough, Eduard’s presence created a tenseness one could cut with a knife. She tried to stand up, but struggled with her leg. I finally had found my words again after seeing her suffer.

“Don’t p-”

“Shut up you filthy pack.” Pointing a bloody finger at me, she was about to attack me but stopped abruptly. And then she started to run away. Again. The pain in her ankle forgotten, the adrenaline was pushing her.

For a few seconds, complete silence was the only interact between me and Eduard; until the latter one broke it.

“W-What has just happened?”

 

Not a word left my mouth. Rather than giving orders, my mind was working like crazy. Why did I not arrest her? She was the King’s enemy; although the blood pressure in my body was still on a high level. Never before had I been in such a situation; I was a fierce warrior on the battlefield, serving for my King and protecting the citizen. Following my heart had never been problematic unto now.

“I-I will call for back up.” The soldier behind me quietly informed me and left the oppressing setting.

A sigh left my lips. As a Colonel, my emotions were not my first priority. Hence, following the pirate was the most important mission which I started at that moment.

 

Her footprints were clearly engraved on the soil between the big stones on the path. Not ten minutes later, her limping movements were at least thirty metres in front of me. Though I was her enemy, my heart was beating like crazy; it was hard for me to watch her suffering during her walk. Three other blurred frames came into view; and one of them seemed to carry something on their back. They first ignored the hobbling female before she shouted out to them and my steps slowed down. Three Pirates – two males and one woman- turned around and faced her, calling her by her given name. Natalya. What a beautiful name. I stopped dead in my tracks as the smallest man of them embraced her happily. It wasn’t the fact that he hugged her, but I looked at the “package” of the other female Pirate that was accompanying them.

It was the Prince. They really had the nerve to abduct him. My breath was caught in my throat; it was my duty to save him.

For the time being, I followed them quietly behind all the plants that were growing by the shore. Hoping for the back up to arrive, I saw them going towards a ship which belong to the Royal Marine.

“Oh well, they are deep in trouble, not only for stealing ships but also Princes.” I muttered to myself. There was chaos while the crew was packing up for “their” ship. Lots of young faces loaded the vessel, young men who could have fight for the Kingdom, for our land. Still waiting for the king’s soldier to arrive, I saw my chance of saving the Prince slipping away second by second.

Chaos dominated the current situation, they had only few minutes to load everything and flee; knowing that the kingdom will declare war on them.

Taking advantage of the turmoil, I sneaked in the scene. It was a miracle that no one had noticed my presence. All the while, my pulse was fast, fearing to be found out any moment. I had long lost sight of the Prince but I had a feeling that he was brought down to the hold[*]. So my mission was to get under the deck. Brown linen blankets were lying in a box near the ship, which I took to cover myself. Being dressed in a hood, my uniform could not attract any attention. Nervously I took the case, pretending to be one of them as I walked on the vessel. Throughout this time I avoided everyone. Even looking them in the eyes would blow my cover.

Unfortunately while I was descending the stairs to get under deck some whispered amongst each other, mentioning that they had seen dozens of guards on the shore. To my horror a few shouted orders in union.

“Set the sails, there are soldiers making their way to us.”

Oh no. My pace increased but I came to a halt upon seeing two of the crew in front of me talking to each other.

“We finally have the amulet.”

That information made me think and the entire realisation crashed on me. They had been behind the water-amulet the whole time. This would end up in a bloody war.

Loudly I inhaled air, to calm down.

“Huh?” The taller of the pirates looked me up and down, taking a dangerously step towards me.

“Who the hell are y-”

I did not let him finish as I pulled my sword and held it on his neck; a move that would mean his death if I hadn’t stopped the sword a bit over his throat. Before I could do anything else, I heard a gun being loaded.

“Put you sword down like right now!”

I did as I was told, turning around to have a better view of my captor.

It was the small blonde man from before. With a frown gracing my face, I stared deep into his green eyes.

“And take off that dreadful hood. Like seriously what kind of fashion style do you have?”

A nervous smirk made its way on his lips when he studied my uniform.

“Lock him up.” was the last I heard before I was thrown in a cell next to the unconscious heir of the Kingdom.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: And the next one :3 I decided to add Denmark and Estonia to the story ~ but they won’t play a big role as the others :’). I had written this chapter days ago, but changed it a bit, because I was not so happy with some parts :O. I am aware of the friendship Poland and Liet have in Hetlia, but in this story they don't know eachother and they will befriend each when the time is given :)]
> 
> [*] The hold was the room in which prisoners of the pirates were being held.


	8. VIII. - Part 1

_Gilbert  
_

My head was throbbing.

It wasn’t the only body part that hurt. Underneath my body wasn’t the cosy matrass I was normally sleeping on. Even though my eyes were close, I registered the feeling of a swaying move that did not ceased. It was constantly present.

I ignored the fainted calls of my name. Couldn’t the servants let me sleep in? It was totally unawesome of them to wake me up so early while I had to deal with the headache from the alcohol consumption. How much had I drunk yesterday? The voice next to me grew louder and I felt two hands touching my shoulders and shaking them softly.

“…you need to wake up.”

I responded with a loud groan; making me realise how hoarse my throat felt. As I opened my eyes, all I saw was wooden construction. It was dimly lit but I could make out the contours. Where was I? Was this a boat? Why were iron bars all around me?

“W-Was? Wo?” I mumbled.

Last night when the ball started… The dance… Those beautiful green eyes…Pirates. Everything from the earlier events replayed again in my head just to the point where my body went unconscious.

The voice next to me spoke once again.

“Your Royal Highness?”

This time I looked at the source of the sound. It was one of the most skilled Colonels of my kingdom. He worked for the Royal family however we weren’t on good terms because he was more skilled with the sword. We had a few sparring years ago and I lost most of time; it seemed that luck was always on his side when we fought.

This man was a genius on the battlefield, a tactic mastermind. Undoubtedly the kingdom wouldn’t be so strong in their military forces without him.

And yet he was by my side, trapped in a prison.

A baffled sigh escaped my lips. “How long have we been here?” I questioned him.

“I do not really know, Your Royal Highness, but I think more than just a few hours. But I cannot say what time it is.” He was addressing me with the formalities he was told to use. For me, as being captured on a darned pirate-ship and hold in a stuffy room, the need to use the formal addresses was not necessary.

“We are in a problematic situation. Our first mission it to get off this boat. And call me Gilbert. Here is not the place to call me ‘Highness’.”

His lips made a lightly grim expression, as if he wanted to deny my wish, but nodded nonetheless. Furthermore one question lingered on my mind that held more importance than the others.

“Did they take any other member of the Royal Family?”

As if he knew what I wanted to know, he responded quickly. “Your brother is in safety.”

Gott sei Dank. As long has he was safe, my will to endure this nightmare would be strong enough to get back to him. If he is told about my abduction, he will be worried. And that was exactly what I wanted to avoid. So the first goal was to break out of this ‘prison’.

“Before I got here, back up was called, so I assume that the Marine is already on its way.” Toris informed me. At least reinforcements were taking actions. Staring at the iron bars another query popped up in my head.

“How did they manage to catch you? I mean you are one of the most skilled warriors of the world.” I cringed at the last sentence. I had to challenge him once again after we would be free. And this time luck wouldn’t be on his side. He did not answer immediately, so I turned my head to see his reaction towards my question. Expecting a defeated look from him, I caught him looking content at me but changed his gratified expression into an unsettled look. His furrowed brows now graced his face. What was that supposed to mean? With a sigh he gave in and told me his little adventure. After five minutes I stared at him with a dumbfounded face.

“A woman?”

He nodded with his head down. Was he ashamed about his defeat or sad that the beautiful – as he told me – woman was a pirate. In favour of lighten the mood, my mouth formed itself into a big grin and I started to laugh. Loud. He was not the only one who struggled with the thoughts of a beautiful woman who turned out to be an enemy. But I knew he was more affected by those female pirates than I was. It was only a few minutes of weakness in my case, before I knew what that woman was. By clapping his shoulder with my hand, I calmed lightly down. “Believe me Colonel, these women are our downfall.”

“These?”

He had no idea who I was alluding to but I only shrugged his inquiry off.

After a few minutes of silence, the ship made a rough movement and stopped abruptly. Loud steps made their way downstairs to us. Had the ship been forced to stop? Was the Marine here to help us? As I was still musing about the possibilities of freedom, the footsteps from before grew louder.

No it was not the Marine, otherwise there would be a fight with canon shots and typical fighting noises.

A person stood in front of our cell and tried to get our attentions with a slightly cough. Ignoring the noise, I refused to even look at my abductors.

“I would rather be in that damn Edelstein’s presence than facing some pirates.” I murmured to myself. However with a voice like mine, a murmur could not be considered as quiet. The pirate grunted out of frustration. Good. I wanted them to feel just like I did.

“I am sorry that I had to take you with us. It wasn’t planned.” A familiar feminine soft voice filled the stuffy room. Albeit my mind refused to look up to her, my eyes involuntary shot towards the source of the voice. And it was again those damn green eyes I gazed into, just like the night before. The mop on her head wasn’t blonde but honey brown and pulled up into a ponytail. Snapping out of my daze, I glared at her. Toris on the other hand gave her a neutral look. He was kind towards the female sex, even if they were his enemies. What he already proofed a few hours ago.

Commenting her ‘apology’ with a loud pejorative snort, she continued to speak. “We arrived on land, but only to buy supplies. We are in need of them, especially the medical cares,” she shot Toris a dirty look. “It will take less than a few hours to get it all together, but we won’t free you afterwards.”

“Of course you won’t.” I grumbled bitterly.

The response I got was a hard stare. “I have no other choice. My fat-“

“We all have a choice,” My interruption sounded grim but it was justified. “Do you, dear pirate, have any idea what it means to abduct a crown Prince?”

She tried to hide her face with an emotionless mask, but failed greatly. Everyone in the world knew what would happen if one of the most important member of the royal family got kidnapped by some delinquents.

Her eyes told me that she was very aware of her fate. Even if she sounded a bit regretful. No one knew what would happen to me or Toris after they ‘used’ us for their purpose.

“Either way, we a-”

“Lizzie! Come on, we totally need to hurry up!” Someone shouted from the deck, making her blink a few times and sprint towards the loud voice.

What is happening with the world? I have never once heard of a pirate crew consisting of females until now. The man next to me made a fast move towards the bars and shook them in a very desperate way. My eyes lingered on his hands and it was that very moment I discovered the white bandage around his fingers.

“Toris, your fingers,” He ended his attempt to break free and gave his injured hand a look before he looked back at me.

“I-It’s nothing,” Sweat ran down his foreheadand his moves grew fidgety. By now my feet had pushed me on my legs. Due to his lack of attention, he hadn’t noticed my presences beside him. The silent man was still observing his hand, not noticing my prying eyes. Removing the white strip of cloth, the lightly deformed fingers didn’t hold the normal skin colour. They were completely blue. The water droplets on his face grew bigger.

“They are broken.” I told him matter-of-factly. Seconds after my comment, he bashfully turned to me. I was not prepared for his next remark. “No they… T-They just bend that way.”

What? My jaw almost hit the floor. Clearly he was exaggerating, hadn’t the female pirate broken them? His tied-back hair was a bit messy –which wasn’t surprisingly with all the fighting and running- and his eyes refused to look at me.

The conversation fell into a long silence. Footsteps of stressed pirates echoed through the vessel and faded as time passed on. I lost track of time as we spent few hours in the dimly lit room and my brain shut down. Being worn out form this “adventure” made my body a bit numb. Making my heavy eyelids closed themselves.

A rather loud crash woke me harshly up. My sight found Toris instantly who was quite startled too.

“What was that?” I sounded awfully croaky. Despite the poor lightning, the both of us could see the shadow of a small person near the bars.

“Who is there?” Toris voice wasn’t as bad as mine. It held softness even though we did not know who was going to face us.

A small blonde boy shyly approached our forms. He was shaking and looked just as tired as we did. His eyes widened at the sight of us, Toris in his army uniform and me in my royal clothes. One could tell that he knew who and what we were. As if the bars weren’t there, he walked up to us faster with relieved tears in his reddened blue eyes.

“I-I am … safe,” was all he said. Toris gave me an unsure look thinking the same thing. The small kid had not realised that we were imprisoned. Strangely this little lad reminded me a bit of Ludwig even though my brother was younger. The meaning of his statement was a mystery to me. How could he be safe on a Pirate ship? Or was it because of our uniforms? But we were prisoners.

“What is your name?” By now, due the height differences, Toris was sitting in front of him and offered his hand through the bars. The Colonel was always very worried about innocents, especially if they were mere children. While he was soothing the younger one, I thought about the circumstances. The little one could be a great help and free us. It would be the first step of out escape.

“R-Raivis… M-my name i-is Raivis.” The poor creature was shaking in fear. Stricken with relieve and worry.

“Tell us, what happened?” I almost commanded as a result of curiosity. Nervously he looked at his feet without uttering a syllable. Refusing to meet my gaze, he took Toris’ good hand, waiting to be assured.

“Everything will be alright, tell us please.” The softness of green eyes must have calm Raivis who responded with much more confidence but his eyes could not completely hide his panic. “I fled from them,” after saying those four words, the tears ran down his face once again. “The p-pirates… t-they were forcing me to smuggle for them.”

Four eye pairs watched him carefully. He must have gone through a lot to successfully escape the pirates’ claws. Flustered and embarrassed by his crying, Raivis wipped his teary face with his small hand. Looking up at Toris; who smiled lightly and whispered the words “you are safe”; the child’s fear decreased. He felt safe with his new made friend. The Colonel surely was a good role model for the youngster. Still sitting near the wall and observing the scene, I reminded myself in which situation we were stuck. And apparently I was the one to destroy this atmosphere by bitterly exclaiming that this place wasn’t the safest one. “I am sorry to interrupt you both, but Laurinaitis, didn’t you forget to mention something?”

As if he was sensing my grim look, the called man’s light smile faded and was replaced by a worried expression. “R-Raivis? Are you certain of the safety where you are right now?” The question was now in the room. Surprisingly he nodded. “Yes,” he timidly admitted. Baffled as to why he fled on another pirate ship, my mouth brashly formed the next words out loud. “But why did you come on this vessel with the knowledge that another group of delinquents are here on board?”

With light shrugging shoulders he replied shyly. “I don’t know… My instinct told me to get on this ship.” His eyes were downcast.

“I will protect you, if they try to hurt you,” Toris attentively reassured him.

I could already see their brotherly relationship forming a strong bond. The King’s most beloved Colonel had a sense for children and protecting them.

“How do you plan to do this when we are stuck in this hold? We are hostages.” I questioned him with a raised eyebrow and he answered immediately. “Do you really think the women on board would injure him? I strongly doubt that. Besides I saw a few of the crew and there was another boy who joined them.” He sounded extremely angry and ignored the lack of respect he hold for his Prince. How could he believe in the good in people?

“Yes, and making him smuggle something other instead!” My retort was louder than I expected it to be.

“As long as they don’t work with the Kingdom of Borussia.” Raivis comment threw me off guard. “W-What did you say?”

He gave me an uneasy look. “Those pirates I had worked for had agreements with that kingdom,” he was making sure to emphasise the word ‘work’. “For every smuggled item, such as gold, food or other things, the responsible authorities would pay them and grant them freedom.”

Anger raised in my chest. Was my father informed about this ‘treaty’? My country supported pirates for those unimportant widgets. I stared ahead of me at no one in particular. It was unbelievable.

Just as Toris wanted to say something, shouting voices interrupted him. They were back… and made their way to us hearing that the steps got louder every second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I adore Latvia *must protect him with all cost* he is a little precious cinnamon roll and needs more love :O. And knowing Liet, he will protect him. And for all of you who don’t know whom Liet was referring to with ‘the other boy’ it’s Luxembourg :3 And the Netherlands is also on board (They could throw a Eurovision Songcontest party on that Ship ~). And I only posted one POV because otherwise the chapter would be too long *whispers* and I am not finished with Lizzie’s part in that Chapter. But I will split this chapter in 2 parts :3.]
> 
> Translations:  
> Gott sei Dank – Thank God


	9. VIII. - Part 2

_Elizabeta_

After the “talk” with our prisoners, my feet took me upstairs on deck. Feliks had called me a few times before I was finally in the fresh air. It was time to buy some supplies. Pondering about the conversation which had occurred moments ago, my head started to ache. Persuading the Prince to work with us will surely lead to some conflicts. He was stubborn, annoying (in his own way) and extremely hateful towards pirates. It was the logical consequence after abducting him, but still.

The necklace remained on his neck because we hadn’t been able to open that darn closure of said jewellery. Feliks suggested taking care of that problem later on.

Just as some of us were about to enter the village, Mathias tapped my shoulder. “Liz… We have a tiny problem.” Using the word “tiny” while we were being followed by one of the strongest Kingdoms with their allies and holding a suborn Prince in the cell, was really ironic. Tilting my head I waited for him to explain his worries.

“You asked me why there weren’t any guards watching the ship as we stole it. I did not really think about it until we examined the vessel,” he sighed desperately. “The ship is quite damaged by shipworms. We need to careen the ship in order to clean it.”

The response he got from me was a nod. I couldn’t add anything else; he knew what he was doing. Considering him as one of the most experienced seafarer in my crew, he had my full trust. Unsure about these circumstances, I joined Natalya and Feliks who were already waiting for me by the entrance of the village. The latter one welcomed me with a huge smile to heighten my spirits.

“Come on Lizzie, we totally need to buy some things.”

We were pirates, yet we would pay for our stuff on this island. It was no secret that this town was a stopover for most of our kind. This place was often filled with pirates or other sea voyagers. Inhabitants made their money by selling fish, supplies for boats, grand ships, etc. Of course there were also other services offered which was specialised for male travellers.

“Mathias informed me about the state of the ship. It is full of shipworms, so we are in need to buy some time to resolve this problem.“ I told my two accompanies. Feliks’ face changed from happy to worry while Natalya didn’t show any emotional change.

The sunny weather created a wonderful atmosphere, despite the market of the village being filled with not so innocent persons. As usual, they stared at us three. Our presence was odd for them; two female pirates and one male, who was very aware of his fabulous looks. While Feliks and I would get strange stares; (me, being the manliest of our trio as Feliks tend to say), Natalya would get lecherous looks. There were times man glanced at me with the same wolfish eyes yet it was always her who was not spared from these regards. Long white blonde hair and dark blue-violet eyes were really catchy after all. However there had been a kind man years ago who offered her a smile (in a friendly way) but was frightened when he saw her weapons and cold glare. Afraid of being attacked, he stopped looking at her and ran away from her. From that moment on, she ignored everyone who stared at her. People had made harsh statements about her; Calling her a “psycho”. Being involved with Natalya, I knew that she was a survivor with a heart. She just hid it and was misunderstood by others. Furthermore to be close and attached to someone was not her greatest ability. The few persons she was loyal to, was Feliks and me.

That’s why almost everyone kept their distance from her and admired her looks from afar, in fear of having a knife thrown at their head. The skill of knife-throwing was one of the reasons she was feared for, making her extremely strong in combats.

I never thought that she could be defeated, until I saw her condition yesterday; an exhausted Natalya with blood all over her hands. She got me worried but after having slept and eaten, she was just as fit as ever. The injured hands of hers got bandaged and seem to heal. Still we needed to look for a doctor and get some medical treatments, considering the fact that we had not really disinfected her wounds.

“Oh look Lizzie, there are cloths in different colours,” Feliks exclaimed happily; he had a sense for clothing and was always excited about it. “And Natalya, there are some sets of beautiful knifes.”

With that they ran towards the offers of their favourite things with the objective to gain possession of it. I on the other hand remained quiet and all by myself. Shaking my head I made my way through the market to buy the needed supplies. Knowing that Feliks would look for medical care, I ttok care of getting citrons, water, rum and hens. In addition to all these stuff, finding a doctor was also on my list.

“And how am I supposed to carry all these?” I sighed.

“Do you need help, Miss?”

The sound of a new friendly and somewhat cute voice made my body turn around. In front of me was a teenage boy with blond hair which fell over one side of his face and striking green eyes. He was one of the few new members who joined the crew. I remembered him being accompanied by a tall blonde man whose hair had the same structure as Mathias’. The teen must have sensed my thoughts. “My name is Noah” He smiled pleasantly.

“I am Elizabeta, you are one of the new crewmember, right? How old are you?”

“Yes. I am twelve.” He stated. Noah was so young, his face innocent, not stricken with any scar. His eyes held pure curiosity yet he was aware of the life of a pirate. Still he did not strike me as a ruthless pirate with his formal manners and sweet grin.

“Well Noah, it would be very nice of you to help me.”

While we were getting the needed things, Noah and I had a conversation. I didn’t want ask him about his earlier life because I knew it was none of my business. But my curiosity got the best out of me when I questioned his choice of joining us.

“Because of my brother… We are both alone, without any parent and he took care of me since I can remember. I only know that my father was not married to my mother. We are illegitimate children and my father is now married to another woman,” he explained with sadness in his voice. “We have no future in that kingdom. Our mother died a few years ago and we were left with nothing. Bastards don’t have the best reputation and my brother said that no matter how hard we will try, no one will accept us. That was the decision that made him join you. It was a desperate move but I wanted to be with him and we were taken in very warmly. I feel comfortable with you. I finally got a home.”

The down-cast look he first held was now gone and replaced by a more happily expression. His smile was sincere even though the story he just told me was sad. Nevertheless I was content to know that he felt better with us. Patting his head with my free hand, I smiled down at him.

“Oh look, there are some hens we can buy.” He whispered kindly. Taking my hand, he dashed towards the booth which sold several animals. Happily chirping chickens were hatching out of the eggs, while others were still enclosed by it. Pointing out on few eggs and hens, the old salesman packed them in a box full of hay. Before we left though, another tiny egg caught my eye. It held another colour as the others and seemed so extraordinary in comparison with the rest of the eggshells. Without thinking much about it, I bought that one as well. Noah did not question my decision on buying it, he only smiled.

It had been an easy feeling to wander around and buying things; the hours we spent on the market were a good distraction and I was gladly welcoming it. The last few days were stressful but I knew that this pleasant air would only be temporary.

Speaking of the devil, I witnessed from a farer distance as Natalya paced towards me and Noah. Her walk was not as confident as usual. It was odd. As she stood in my range, my hand automatically touched her forehead, seeing as sweat drops graced her face. With quivering lips, she tried to say something. “I-I...” Though it was the last thing her lips breathed audibly before her body went limp. Panic took control of all my rational thoughts while I was standing there with an unconscious Natalya in my arms. My small blonde male companion on the other hand knew exactly what one should do in such a situation, and left me with the promise that we would look for help -meaning the one of the crewmembers- and return immediately. The bought supplies were taken with him.

My hands held her form. Never before had I thought that Natalya of all people could faint. She was strong and never took ill. A new anxious feeling was forming in my pit of the stomach. The looks I received from the people in this area were odd and the negative feeling in my body only grew.

“Elizabeta Héderváry.”

My body froze. Turning around I found myself starring at green eyes. The man’s smirk was the most noticeable feature beside his bushy eyebrows which could not be clearly seen as the shadow of his hood denied me that sight.

“Arthur Kirkland.” I acknowledged. The typically red coat he was always wearing was hidden under a dark cloak. It would draw to much attention which he clearly wanted to avoid. Captain Kirkland was a well-known pirate, loved and hated at the same time. He was on the wanted-list of the Marine and barely showed his face when he was on land. To describe our encounter as a friendly one wasn’t quite right. He and my father were rivals, trying to chase each other, wagging who would gain more money from treasures, etc. But still one couldn’t say that we were enemies.

Kirkland caught me in a rather uncomfortable situation, with an unconscious Natalya leaning on my body.

“How is it going? I heard about your royal package and his amulet,” He smirked and observed my frozen frame. How did he already know about it? “W-What?” I uttered nervously.

The smirk that was painted on his face only grew. “Yes I know about it and I am not the only one. I must admit I was quite amused and stunned by this tale,” He softly laughed at my expression. “The Marine and army of the Borussian Kingdom are after you.”

My mouth refused to open. The man in front of me came nearer and whispered in a voice only the two of us could hear. “But I must warn you do not trust anyone. You do know that your Royal guest draws attention; especially the one of evil persons.”

He disappeared as fast as he had arrived, leaving me and my thoughts alone. After the ‘conversation’ I looked around me and for the first time and analysed the surroundings. The stares people shot me were not harmless. They knew what we had obtained the night before. Their glances were dangerous, dark, just like one of a predator. The once wonderful atmosphere changed abruptly. Uncertain of what to do with it, I reacted out of instinct and carried Natalya on my shoulder. We needed to escape immediately. Remaining as quiet as possible, I made my way through the crowd just as Noah came back with Feliks who was carrying lots of cloths and seemed to be out of breath. “Oh Gosh, Natalya… Elizabeta, like what happened?”

“She fainted and …,” Seeing as everybody in our range looked at us, I gave the two males a sign to move and get to the ship. “I don’t really know what weakened her and brought her in this state, but I had not been able to look for a doctor.” I continued while we paced through the area.

“That is bad news” Feliks commented with a slightly worried face.

As we finally arrived at the port, the crew had everything packed and was ready to sail. My eyes wandered to the front part of the ship. It had been cleaned a bit from the shells but I was not sure how much damage they could repair. Shipworms were after all a ship’s death sentence.

“There you are,” Mathias shouted from the main deck, but as he saw Natalya’s condition, his face fell a bit. “What has happened?”

Noah rushed on the vessel to report him about the happenings on the market.

While Feliks and I carried Natalya on the ship, a shudder ran down my spine. The feeling of uneasiness dominated my body. Something was off. As we crossed the plank to get on the wooden ship, my head turned to the side and I captured the view of several odd men who watched us carefully with sinister expressions. In the background, ships of different sizes arrived at the port. They all had dark sails making their presence dangerous. At the same time Kirkland’s words echoed through my head, ‘but I must warn you do not trust anyone. You do know that your Royal guest draws attention; especially the one of evil persons _’._

“We need to bring her to your cabin.” I heard Feliks muttering, bringing me out of my thoughts. Right, our cabin. Being females brought us a further advantage in form of our own room. Sometimes Feliks slept in our quarters, but we never minded; he was family.

Before we reached the cabin, I heard orders from Mathias which signalled the crew to finally let the ship leave the land.

 

“Her temperature is worrying me,” Feliks remarked while he felt Natalya’s forehead. ”I could get some medical supplies besides the new cloths.”

“But we have no doctor,” I told him softly while patting the sick woman’s hair, sitting down next to her bed.

A knock sounded on the door. “Liz? Can I come in?”

Answering with a ‘yes’, Mathias entered the room, approaching us with an uneasy face. “Noah told me about what happened. Do you already know what must have caused the fever?”

“I don’t know. She was fine this morning, after having slept and eaten. Her wounds were bandaged and everything was totally okay.” Feliks informed the taller man.

Suddenly a thought came up in my head. How could we have been so oblivious? While we were bandaging, we did not really treated her open wounds with something that would avoid an infection. I abruptly shot to my feet. “Her wounds… we did not treat them carefully.” I muttered nervously, taking the long white cloth from her right hand.

We all gasped upon seeing it. The entire skin around the wounds was red and swollen. I touched it softly and felt the pounding of her heart. The injury itself looked hideous.

“Damn. Feliks?”

The blonde man grabbed his little bag. “I have bandages, ointments and a few herbs. But I don’t know how to use them on someone who already suffers from infection.”

“Me neither.” Mathias and I answered in unison.

Feeling the anxious tense take over us one idea popped into my head. “I know this is weird, but considering the situation, that we have an ill person and no doctor, who could possibly have any idea of medicals, wounds or infections?” I asked, making the other two waiting for my conclusion. “Someone, who faces bloody battlefields every day." I added.

“You can’t be serious,” Feliks groaned. “He was the one who is responsible for her wounds.”

Mathias questioning expression grew. “The Colonel?” He finally asked.

“Yes. I believe he knows more about these wounds than we do. We always had a doctor and I only know how to bandage, but not how to treat such extreme injuries, especially if they already are infected. And I think the Colonel knows something about such wounds, considering that he was involved with them daily. We could ask him if he has any experience.” After my argument left my lips, Feliks walked nervously up and down through the room. “I will let him treat her, under my watch. And if he dares to hurt her…” he muttered darkly.

With him, I made my way down to the hold with something to eat. Standing before the two tired imprisoners, I gave them their food through the iron bars, receiving an annoying glare from the Prince. Feliks on the other hand showed his mood with crossed arms and an angry frown that he was clearly against the idea to ask help of them. He was a proud man, but with Natalya’s current poor health, we were in need of the Colonel.

“We need your help.” He exclaimed powerful and with every piece of pride he had, staring the Colonel down. I looked at the prisoners dumfounded faces before I noticed a noise behind me. Turning around, my eyes caught the blue irises of a young lad who tried to hide behind a box.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I was looking for a name for Luxembourg. He does not have an official name and I like the name Noah :3 I really love his sweet character. And Captain Kirkland made an appearance (Capt’n Iggy :’D) he will also play an important part in the story :). I thought about describing how Natalya is being seen from other people. Sometimes I see how some of the Hetalia fandom say that she is a psycho and totally obsessed with her brother, etc. And I think that she is completely misunderstood. Well starting with next week, my holidays will be over and I don’t know if I have enough time to post every week. It’s going to be a new life chapter for me, going to University :). But I will try to update as often as I can, but I think if I write only one POV per chapter, that would be possible :).] 
> 
> Shipworms: despite their name, they are clams which bore themselves in the wood of the ship, damaging it. If they aren’t removed, the wood will be destroyed.  
> Careen: to remove shells, shipworms or repair the ship, one had to lean the ship on one side (with the help of the tides) to clean or repair it.


	10. IX

_Toris_

“We need your help.” The self-confidence was literally radiating from this male pirate and it was quite impressive. Although he seemed to be very serious, holding onto his swords sheath. His expression on his face signalled us that he was ready to kill us if we were about to do something stupid.

Still being flabbergasted by his phrase, I felt my eyes twitch lightly. They were asking me for help? My thoughts were interrupted as the pirate’s female companion turned around watching the boxes Raivis hid behind. She moved towards his hideout. Before my lips could form any words, Gilbert walked to the iron bars and grabbed them. “Don’t touch him.” His voice was composed yet cold even though he was boiling inside. I was aware that Raivis reminded him of Ludwig; almost every child did. A lot of people thought of the Prince as an arrogant, weird and obnoxious fool; it was his mask to hide his true feelings such as care, loyalty and goodness. After all he was very protective of others who held his fondness.

“I won’t.” The female answered calmly.

Raivis was still alarmed and shed away from the woman as her frame neared his trembling body.

“P-Please,” he whispered before he started crying his eyes out. The once menacing glaring woman’s eyes softened. “Don’t fear me, I will not hurt you. How could I hurt a poor creature like you who looked for shelter?”

The little boy looked up into her green eyes and flinched as her hand touched his face. Caressing his cheek she spoke reassuring words to calm him down. “You are save here. I know it seems odd, considering that we have those two as prisoners, but I promise you, we won’t hurt you.”

It was a nice scene, beside their brutal actions as pirates, they could be nice too. At least the female was, just the way I expected it to be; kind towards children.

“So, your answer!” The other one exclaimed darkly staring me down. My brain was working like a maniac. Helping criminals but for what reason? To be safe? I was loyal to the Prince and the Kingdom, but those pirates could threaten Raivis and Gilbert because of me. While standing up, I felt every one’s eyes on me.

“Why do you need my help?” I asked.

The blonde man sighed and rubbed his neck. “One of us got totally hurt and the wound infected itself. I suppose you have any knowledge to cure this?”

At that moment, I knew I could save the Prince and Raivis from any kind of torture they would give them. The pirates had no ship doctor; otherwise they would ignore their pride and not ask me to take care of some injuries.

“You have luck,” I said. “Not only am I a good warrior on the battlefield but I often needed to tend to wounds worse than an infection.” Observing how the blonde’s breath left his mouth, I knew he was glad that my experience was the one they needed.

“I will help you, but under two conditions. One, you will not hurt, torture or kill us three,” I breathed, watching my surroundings carefully. “And you will tell us what you are planning and why you are in the need of any of us. I don’t believe that you are holding us hostage to gain money, otherwise you would have already sent out a ransom.” My lips formed into a smirk when I saw how both of the pirates’ eyes widened. “And your female companion said something about not having a choice.” I added, pleased with my indication.

The water splashed against the ship, it was the only sound that filled the room besides the nervous steps above us on the deck. Gilbert grinned out of pure satisfaction, seeing that both pirates had no other choice as to give in to my conditions.

“Fine!” The blonde spat while opening the prison’s door with a silvery key. He looked over at his crewmember. “Lizzie, you will tell the Prince everything. I will take the boy and the Colonel with me.”

My lips let out a breath of air. Finally, we would be told why we were here for. I left the cell and followed the blonde pirate.

“If you dare anything stupid, Colonel, the first condition will be broken,” He commanded, pointing towards his gun on his hip. “Understood?”

Answering his query with a nod, we ascended to the main deck while Raivis was holding my hand. The awkward air was broken as the blonde started to speak. “You know I am very protective of my friends just like you. So don’t try anything funny on the wounded woman.”

“Woman?” I asked tensely making him turned around with narrowed eyes. “Yes, a woman, the one you had injured only yesterday.”

My lips moved on their own before I could stop myself from muttering the words. “Natalya?”

The abruptly stop of my hostage-taker startled me, but not as much as his eyes as he turned his head towards me. “Why the hell do you know her name?” His voice was dripping with rage. We were on the stairs, a few metres away from the deck.

“You called her by her name yesterday at the beach when I was following you. That’s how I know her given name.”

His once angry look turned into a dumbfounded expression. He did not comment my answer and started to walk again, cursing under his breath as we got to the cabin. We reached the door which was guarded by a tall blonde man. He wasn’t the same from yesterday but seemed to be just as skilled as the other.

“Feliks, is that the one?” he asked. So my capture’s name was Feliks. Called man nodded. “Yes, I will watch him while he is taking care of Nat.”

The tall intimidating man’s glare pierced my body and Raivis’ hid his head in my shirt. Even if I was an experienced Colonel who could face any opponent, this man had my fully respect. Moving aside, he allowed Feliks and me to enter the room. I couldn’t stop my heart from beating faster as I saw her. She was in a bad condition but her angelic face was illuminated by the light that radiated through the window. Raivis let go of my hand, sitting himself on a chair. He watched the female with a calming expression before he drifted into sleep.

“Stop staring.” Feliks muttered annoyed. I had not noticed my staring. Closing my mouth, I made my way to her, examining her injuries. Her forehead was burning and her breaths were short and fast. She clearly had fever.

“What medical supplies do you have?” I asked worryingly as I looked at her hands. It was a bad injury which had negative consequences if one would not tend them rightly. But having enough experience with such wounds, I could heal her. Feliks threw me a bag with few materials, which could be used to cure these injuries.

“She will be fine, I can help her.” I muttered and watched as Feliks stern expression relaxed. She whimpered as I touched her hand carefully and my heart stopped as she opened her eyes slowly. “F-Feliks?” She whispered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I am sorry that I have to post this chapter today, I had no time to write it for Friday :O. University started on Monday (officially on Tuesday) and holy mother we already had to do an assignment for Saturday and several other stuff. But I hope I will get used to the stress :). I know the chapter is really short, but I hope I can post every week :3]


	11. X

_Natalya  
_

It was the darkness that kept me away from the light. The pain numbed my body but I heard the movements and sounds around me. Feliks’ voice filled my ears. “F-Feliks?” I breathed. How long had I been unconscious? Everything felt so warm and sticky. My skin was burning, making my body sweaty.

I opened my eyes and before I could watch my surroundings, a pair of warm green eyes observed my face caringly. It weren’t Feliks stare, but one of a man that seemed oddly familiar.

“W-What?”

My vision and senses must be delusional under the influence of my sickness. While turning my head a little boy came into my vision who sat beside me in a chair. He was sleeping peacefully and looked weak and vulnerable, just the way I felt.

Upon inspecting the chamber any further, my eyes finally fell on Feliks, who shot me worried look. “Nat,” He smiled as he made his way towards my side. “You are finally awake.”

I returned his sweet smile and sighed, motioning that I was still very weakened by my state. My eyes once again fell onto the other man, who held my throbbing hand. Before I could say something, Feliks started to explain the occurring situation. “Nat, I am sorry but considering your condition, we had no other choice but to choose him.”

Raising an eyebrow, I starred at both men with a questioning face giving the Feliks the opportunity to clarify this incident.

“We found no doctor and your wounds have gotten worse. You suffer from an infection and therefore need to rest and be tend with utter care,” He nervously stated. “The only one who has enough experience in dealing with such injuries is him.” Feliks clapped on the other man’s shoulder, who was the very one to blame for my wounds. A smirked formed itself on my face as I saw how Feliks was glaring at the Colonel.

“So, the one who is going to take care of me is the Colonel.” I muttered between pursy breaths, pulling my hand away from his fingers.

“T-Toris,” the man stuttered. “My name is Toris, please don’t call me Colonel.”

I glared at him as menacing as I could. To my dismay it did not frightened him, he only smiled lightly. For me he was still an odd person. How could he shot me a smile even though I have hurt his men? It was beyond my knowledge how his mind worked. Shooting Feliks a desperate and questioning look, I expected him to do something.

“I will watch over him, while he takes care of you,” the blonde assured confidently before his face fell. “Nat. I still need to tell you, that we are being followed. Not only by the Royal Marine, but other pirates as well.”

I stared at him with a lightly wide-eyed look, which I hid after a few seconds. Of course we would be followed by the King, a consequence of having abducted his son. But other pirates as well after one day?

Trying to steady myself on my elbows, I wanted to sit instead of lying.

“You cannot regain your health if you sit up.” My ‘caretaker’ told me softly. Ignoring his cue, I sat up with the help of my hands and regretted it instantly.

I hissed painfully, falling back on my pillow.

“Are you alright?” Toris asked, his voice filled with kindness. Admitting defeat was something unforgivable and I hated it, just like getting sympathy. Therefore, he got an answer that was underlined with pure pride. “Of course I am.”

Not giving him any of my attention, my head turned towards the child next to me. His sleeping face looked innocent, despite the dirt on his clothes and hair. Who was he? He seemed so lost… Just like I was when I was young.

“What’s his name?” The question was in the room before I could stop myself, but I asked it to no one particular.

“Raivis.”

I looked up to Toris upon hearing the name. Every time he met my gaze, his lips formed a caring smile. He remained undaunted as I shot him a glare. Never before have I met someone, besides some members of the crew, who did not shudder from my piercing eyes. The movements from the chair near my bed distracted me, especially as the one who sat on it started speaking.

“Is the pretty woman alright?” The little boy stared at me with tired eyes. “I hope she will be okay.” He added quietly. Wanting to comment to his sweet words, I opened my lips but got cut off by Toris. “It’s Miss Natayla, Raivis.”

And again, my sight changed towards Toris. Why on earth should one call me a Miss? I was a Pirate, trained to kill and to find treasures. For heaven’s sake I am part of the crew that abducted the Prince. Plus I was the one who is responsible for his men’s injuries. Someone like me wouldn’t sit in the garden and drink tea. Certainly, one couldn’t describe me as a formal Lady or Miss.

I was still being perplexed of Raivis kind words. Children were afraid of me, not only because their parents told them that I was dangerous, but also of my cold eyes. Maybe he looked at me with pity due my sickness. But it was not pity that was painted across his face. It was worry. It must be Toris influence on the boy.

My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, which Feliks answered quickly. Feeling my hands being touched by Toris, I flinched, shooting him once again a tenacious glare which got answered by his light smile. It was either mockery or complete ignorance. Despite my hoarse voice, I wanted to say something yet my lips remained unmoving.

“I am going to use this alcoholic treatment,” his eyes grew immensely uneasy. “It will hurt and feel like a ripping burn.”

I couldn’t place the way he was looking at me. Feeling extremely confused by his kindness, my brain could not decipher his reasons for his actions. The pain shot through my hand as Toris treated my hand. Based on my experiences, I was used to pain and wounds, but never before had I been in such a condition. Trying to avoid screaming like a maniac, I concentrated on Raivis, who watched me with sorrowful eyes.

It was all in vain, as the darkness welcomed me once again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Natalya’s turn :D. I really want her and Raivis to be a cute team. They have a connection, sharing the same lonely childhood :). I know that in Hetalia, they don’t really have much in common, but this is fiction after all, and I want it that way :D *Writer’s power* . I hope there are not too many mistakes, I just finished this chapter and it is too late for my brain to write :’D *European time zone :’D*]


	12. XII

_Elizabeta  
_

Normally, being alone in a man’s company was never difficult for me. I was brought up on a ship filled with men and never before had I problems with them. My traits were described as manly and not female. One could say I was a woman on the outside but had the typical character of a man. If I would face again the situation of playing a Lady, I would gladly do it, but I could not endure it any longer than a few days. The people, who knew me well, loved me just the way I was and that was certainly not lady-like. So the moment I was alone with Beilschmidt, without putting a show and hiding myself behind a wig and fan, I felt uncomfortable. As a pirate I had never before encountered a Prince or any other man of a high rank. Therefore I did not know how to react. I had fulfilled my mission in stealing the amulet. The only task that remained was the rescue of my father. My eyes looked forward of the source of my thoughts. He immediately changed his position.

“Would you gladly explain to me, why I am stuck here and why you are in need of my presence?” The sound his voice held was uptight and his eyes pierced my soul.

No, I was definitively not used to be in the presence of persons like him.

“I think it is time to tell you.” I muttered quietly.

“Ach wirklich?” He commented arrogantly.

Even though I did not understand the words; the sarcasm in his voice was almost screaming at me. With an angry look, I opened the door and walked into the barred area. Stepping just ahead of him, I looked down on him and watched him with angry eyes. He was provoking me, even if he knew he was in a dangerous situation.

“I don’t understand that language, but I am not a stupid woman. If you mock me, I not stand by and listen to your hidden insults.”

Upon hearing my threat his eyes widened for a split second, before he regained his relaxed countenance.

“Oh, did you already forget the condition Toris imposed? You are not allowed to hurt me in any way, otherwise he will let your friend die under mis-”

I grabbed him by his upper clothing and slammed him into the wall. My face was glowing while my blood boiled in my veins. “Don’t you dare to talk about Natalya or any of my friends. I am no typical woman, I am dangerous.”

The answer I got out of him was a smirk and the comment “So am I.”

Letting go of him, I closed my eyes and breathed slowly to calm myself down. This person always succeeded in getting under my skin, and it was quite irritating for me. As I opened them, his grin was still present on his face.

“What?” I asked him with the calmest voice I had. At that moment he sat opposite of me and shrugged his shoulders. “Nothing,” he chuckled. “It is just so refreshing to see that not every woman is a damsel in distress.”

With a raising brow, I questioned his indication. Had he just paid me a compliment? I, the manly woman? I was too flabbergasted to ask him about it. His grin only grew as he saw how speechless I was.

“So, tell me. You mentioned something about not having another choice but to abduct me. I know that my amulet is the object you need.” His body-language showed me his seriousness and his eyes were carefully watching me. Though he seemed calmer, his stance told me that he was prepared for any move I would pull on him.

“My father was taken, by an infamous Pirate, Captain Roberts,” my eyes met his and I could see that he recognised the name ‘Roberts’ because he frowned the moment I named the Pirate. “His crew surprised us in the middle of the night. During the fight, he abducted my father while I was too weak to save him. Apparently he wants me to give him the ancient amulet of the water dragon which is in your ownership. I don’t have any idea what he really wants to do with it, but I reacted out of panic when I knocked you out. I just wanted the necklace with the amulet, not you as the Prince.” My lips were dry as I waited for any reaction.

“What happened with the rest of your crew? Where was your mother, was she taken too?” He asked reluctantly.

He had no clue about my mother’s death, therefore it must have been normal to ask this question.

“Some died, others got wounded and our ship burnt down,” with every fibre in my body, I tried to avoid any sign of sadness, but failed as my voice sounded broken. “My mother died due childbirth. The only family I have is my father and the crew. That’s why I needed the amulet.”

The Prince stared at me, supporting the silence with his unmoving lips. His eyes on the other hand showed more emotions than his closed mouth. Sympathy, irritation and sadness were the ones I could read. The latter one was a sentiment which was incomprehensible for me. Was he so touched by my story?

“I understand why you did it,” his closed eyes denied me any further inspections into his feelings. ”I would do anything for my family, but it was foolish of you to take me on your ship against my will. This will cost you your life.” He opened his eyes and stared right into my soul. “Even if you will give him the amulet, he cannot use it. According to the legend, only the owner and their ancestors who share the same blood can make a use of it, so you still need me as a Prince.”

“But, he does not know that right?”

“I hope not. When someone of the Royal families paid them to abduct your father, then he will expect you to hand me over to them.”

His last sentence made me think. “How would you know if he did is on his own accord or not?” I asked him

“I just happen to know that some kingdoms work with such persons together to gain more power.” He said darkly, avoiding my eyes. Something was wrong and I believe that he would not talk to me so freely. Nodding, I thanked him for hearing me out. It was quiet for minutes which I wanted to stop.

“I bet you are hungry.” After all those hours I could imagine him to have hunger; I decided to break the light awkwardness between us with this phrase.

His face transformed into a shocked grimace as his stomach answered the question. “Y-Yes.”

“I will let you out but do not do anything stupid.” I warned him with a smile. It was weird but I could not shake off the feeling that something had changed in the atmosphere. The tenseness had decreased. I was glad that he did not ask me how this whole incident would continue, because I myself did not have an answer.

 

We left the hold. On the main deck, the Prince smiled slightly. Being out in the fresh air was always relieving after being captured in a stuffy room. During the evening, I accompanied him. The food I got him was nothing compared to the meals he ate in the castle.

I stayed with him. It was my responsibility to watch over him and so I ate with him, even if we did not talk so much. To say that it was odd, was an understatement, being in his presence was still strange but less annoying as I had first assumed.

“Where do I sleep? You don’t expect me to go back into the hold?”

“We have a little room for you and your companion, so don’t worry.”

I chuckled when his eyebrows rose upon hearing ‘your companion’.

“It’s not that kind of relationship Toris and I have.” He blushed as I started to laugh harder. It was weird that, hours ago, we could have shot things at each other, and now we were sitting and eating together. He insisted on calling him by his first name.

My laughter died down and he looked at me with thoughtful eyes. “I have an idea how we could work together, even if you are an enemy and I your hostage,” The way he looked at me was hopeful and he continued to explain himself further. “It seems that my kingdom has a treaty with a pirate crew and I want to find out, how those agreements could be signed.”

My brain created some ideas; we could make a deal and my crew could get out of this mess. _Alive_. There were many pirates who worked for some Kingdoms, some as privateers, others in the form of brutal pirates. Every country would make a treaty if it would provide them a good economical state.

“Maybe I could help you, if we make a deal.”

Gilbert nodded upon hearing my suggestion.

We got interrupted as Noah stood in front of us with the odd coloured egg I had bought hours ago. “Captain Elizabeta, I don’t know where I should put this egg. It is really strange, but the hen does not want to warm it. Something is off.”

Before I could say anything, Gilbert slowly took the egg out of Noah’s grasp and examined it. “I will take care of it.”

His voice was so gentle just the same as the current expression on his face. The smile which formed itself on his face was adorable.

“I will take care of this little fellow.” He whispered as he protectively warmed it with his royal jacket. This was the first time I saw how compassionate he was. It was just an egg, but he was looking at it with fondness just like a mother or father would look at their child. The theory that he and the egg shared something was formed in my head. The shell of this egg stood out and was unique, just like Gilbert’s appearance. He really was a mystery to me with his acting. After minutes of silence, his eyes caught mine as I stared at him. Blushing, I turned back to Noah and told him that the egg would be okay. I wanted to hit myself; I was caught staring and I hated it.

“I think it’s time to get some sleep.” I informed him and walked off with a mind full of thoughts and questions. What has just happened, did we start to get along?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Yey another chapter :3 I hope it is not too rushed with Prussia and Hungary (But I think that after 10 chapters, it’s about damn time those to get a moment together :’D). Prussia is still very wary but he slowly warms up to her. And in the next chapter there will be more explanations of his behaviour towards her. I started writing it during the football play BVB Vs Bayern Munich, and I took so long because I got angry during the game :’D (BVB lost in the end). But I hope the chapter is okay :3 ]
> 
> Translations:  
> Ach wirklich? : Oh really?


	13. XIII

_Gilbert_

I was in my room thinking about the last few hours. The chamber Toris and I had gotten was very small, but as long as we had windows and could roam freely, I was content. My fingers played with the amulet around my neck, as I watched the ocean outside. My eyes fell back on my small bed where the egg was lying, swathed in a blanket. Since my brother was born, I had developed a strong feeling for youngsters, small animals and abandoned living-beings. It was my responsibility to take care of the egg because no one seems to care about. The urge to feel needed was important for me. To be useless was the worst emotion I could feel. The egg was not the only creature that occupied my thoughts. It was Eliz who lingered on my mind. She told me to call her by her given name Elizabeta, but I decided to shorten the name. I liked the sound of the shortened version, especially if one would pronounce it in my mother language. While I reflected on the conversations we had, Toris entered the room.

"Are you feeling well?" he asked.

My eyes met his and I could read his troubled mind. "I am. But looking at you, I conclude that you are not feeling that well."

His shoulders stiffened after my comment. Seconds afterwards, his lips let out a sigh. My brow shot up, inquiring him to tell me why he was troubled. When I met him, he had never shown his emotions towards me, but being stuck on a pirate ship, the now friendly relation we had, improved.

He let himself fall onto his bed. "What is going to happen if this ends? I do not know why, but my heart feels heavy when I think about how this is going to end." His sighing sounded extremely unsettling. Despite our different characters, our emotions were caged by the same thoughts.

"I am certain, that if the Marine will rescue us, the pirates will be hanged for the criminal actions they had taken. My father will declare war on them and everyone who is involved with them. And if not, then we will either be killed, sell as a treasure to be bought off by a rich men who will use me. The life of a hostage is not very fulfilling. The amulet on my neck is the reason we are alive and I informed them, that it cannot be used without me," I breathed with a frowning look and remembered what Eliz had told me. "Eli-, I mean the charge of this ship, told me that she acted out of personal interests. Her father was kidnapped by that infamous Captain Roberts and threatened to be killed."

Toris watched me with a frown. "Roberts… I have met and fought him once. It was some years ago when I was ordered to the neighbour country in order to support their local army. The road was blocked and we had to sail over to the place. We were attacked by his crew. Until today, I do not know why he was lurking there. Normally it is a well-guarded country, especially on the shore and ocean which connects our lands."

"What country was it?" I asked him.

"Duchy of Eastdorn."

"Edelstein's Country?"

At first I was confused, but rethinking the current situation, my brain started to work. "Do you think Edelstein has anything to do with that? I have never heard him mentioning any pirate before. Their armed forces are one of the best ones. Their marine is almost as good as ours. They should have been able to protect the sea which bounds our countries," before I could say anything further, Raivis words haunted my reflections. "Raivis told us something about not wanting to smuggle goods for my kingdom. What if there are more kingdoms besides ours which are engaging pirates for some businesses?"

The room was filled with silence, but on the inside Toris and I were trying to put all those information together. "Although I have positive news about the situation," I mentioned calmly. "Eliz promised me to help us to find and look for those crews who made treaties with my kingdom. Then we can fathom who is connected with it and who not. Even though I have the feeling that Captain Roberts is involved with all of those dubious affaires."

Toris' reply was a thoughtful nod, before a small smirked formed on his face. "Eliz?"

My body tensed. Did I say her name out loud? Shooting him a glare, he smiled. "I thought her name was Elizabeta?"

"Yes it is." My words sounded like an angry order and inquired him to not ask anything further. To my dismay, my cheeks were rosy and Toris noticed it. Without any word, he got up and looked out of the window. Even though it was silent, it was clear that I had used my personal abbreviation of her name, and I normally did not do that with everyone's name. The enemy's name never got a nickname from me only ridiculous ones. Apart from our different backgrounds, Eliz fascinated me. It was no secret that she was a beautiful gem, sadly it was bad enough that she was a pirate, but I could not stop thinking about what it would be like if she was not a criminal. I had to admit that she was a brave fighter, which intrigued me. Shaking my head, I tried to get rid of her green eyes, which haunted my thoughts. Under the current circumstances, I could not allow myself to get too comfortable in her presence. She had abducted me after all.

"I understand your struggles." I heard Toris murmuring, which caught my attention.

"Those pirates women are really a complete other kind of woman."

"Kind of woman? I only know the boring royal ones." I commented while shaking my head in mockery. Toris laughed with a light-hearted look. "Yes, there are the royal ones, who know how to behave. The others are the kind ones, who are a bit clumsy. And mostly women admire strong men, because they are not strong to defend themselves. Several kinds of women exist. But never in my life have I encountered females like Miss Elizabeta or Miss Natalya. Strong, brave and independent. I must admit that it fascinates me."

At first I had an annoyed feeling when I heard the way he spoke out Eliz's name. It was shocking that I my emotions were acting like that. Was I getting too attached to her? I've only known her for a few days and she had already that effect on me. The first time I had seen her, it were her eyes that caught me. She was gorgeous. Beside her looks, her witty comebacks and strength were awesome. If she would be a minor criminal who did acted properly, I would not even bother. But the mere fact that she was in charge of a pirate ship and abducted me was making me angry. After she told me that she was a half-orphan, my heart melted. Her childhood was motherless and I know the pain of having lost a mother. It was a tragedy which still connected us. And it was at that particular moment I started to acknowledge her. We shared the same pain. I was trying to hate her when I was stuck in the hold just to find out that I was angry that I could never get to know her. She would be an amusing and loyal fellow. My hope was that it would only be a small admiration which would fade away, because I was not a person who would fall in love, especially with a criminal person. I let my head fall into my hands. What a mess I have myself gotten into after two days I was considering that I had gotten attached to a woman I barely know. How could my feelings escalate so quickly?

"Blast." I hissed.

"Just the way I feel," Toris whispered. "Miss Natalya defeated all of my men, injured me, helped the crew to abduct you and on top of that she insulted us. And still I cannot stop my lips which would form into a smile every time I see her."

My heart felt at ease when I realised he was smitten by the other pirate and not Eliz. I felt stupid for even having these thoughts; why would I get angry with him? My mind and heart was confusing me. Why would both of them not cooperate?

"These women are only worsening the situation." I let Toris know. Agreeing with me, he turned back to his bed. "I will go to sleep now."

Before standing up, I observed the egg on my bed. "Little fellow, at least you will take my mind off those inconvenient thoughts."

I smiled before I went to bed. The egg was beside me, protected by blankets. Sleep embraced me the moment I closed my eyes, not noticing that the egg was moving lightly.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: While I was writing this part, Word always underlined my words with red and I was wondering why. Apparently Word recognised every fifth word I wrote as German O.o I think it was only because I wrote Gilberts POV :'D. I hope the chapter is okay. Feelings are staring to confuse the characters ~ :D. Gilbert feels more connected with Lizzie now, because they share the same pain of being half-orphans (even if Eliz never met her mother, the absence of her was still upsetting for Eliz), in addition to that they felt attracted to each other right at the beginning. Of course it is still too early to think about "oh love ~ peace and harmony" :). And yes I like the abbreviation "Eliz" for Elizabeta :D (especially if you spell it in German :D). Just to give you warnings ahead (if one of you is actually reading my notes here) that I mentioned there will be few pairings in this story, the main ones are Pruhun an Lietbel. But a side Pairing would be Ukxfem!Japan. Japan will make an appearance later, but still I wanted to mention it.]


	14. XIV

_Feliks  
_

The air felt cold and quiet, but I still could not ignore the weird feeling that was growing in my stomach. Something was up. I could feel it. This ability has always accompanied me since that bloody incidence in my hometown.

I was watching the ocean as I stood near the boat’s wheel. Lizzie had gone to bed just like all the others. Some stayed and observed the sea, taking care to be prepared when a storm will come. I was one of those who remained on deck. The sleep I had planned to get was disturbed by my mind. It was filled with worries and thoughts of Natalya. I knew that somehow she would be okay, but if we would be attacked by other pirates or the Marine, then we needed every man and woman to fight them off. Nat was one of the strongest crew-member we had on board. With her being injured, our forces would be weakened. With these thoughts, I continued to watch the ocean.

The last few days had been exhausting. I did not know which impact the outcome of this whole situation would have.

“What are we going to do?” I murmured to myself.

Feeling that the wind got stronger, I made my way back into the warmness of my room. The moment I was descending the stairs, a quiet howling sound echoed through the main deck. It was too dark to see anything due the lack of light, but I saw a bit of a movement on the floor near the railing.

“What the …”

I was not sure how to describe it, but the moving object looked like a grand fish. Getting closer to it step by step, I recognised the creature and was baffled by its sight. It was a mermaid; a living-being which I had never crossed path before.

“I am in need of help.” I screamed as loudly as I could, not trying to sound too desperate. As if someone was already standing near me, some of the crew came running to my help; including Lizzie who was supposed to sleep. Noah was the fastest of them as he stood by my side.

“What is i-… A mermaid?”

We all struggled with our thoughts and before any of us could react, the mermaid broke the silence with a desperate plea.

“Help,” she whispered as she looked at us with her helpless eyes. “I promise not to hurt any of you.” A mermaid would never seek any help from pirates, even if she was badly injured. Those water creatures were famous for their bloodlust, but seeing her like that, I knew she could be trusted. Nevertheless I was not the one who decided her fate, so my eyes went to Lizzie’s face, whose frown showed a deep thinking.

The mermaid was injured and it seemed as she had been shot by a gun and stabbed by several sharb objects. This would indicate that she had been hurt by pirates. What exactly had happened?

“Why do you need our help?” Lizzie asked darkly.

She was still lying on the wooden ground, trying to remain strong, even though it was clear that a lot of blood was leaking out of her wound. “The owner of the amulet,” at the mention of the Prince, every one of us tensed up. “I knew that he was in danger, so I tried to protect him.”

Lizzie took her sword out of its sheath. “What do you mean, he was in danger?” she asked calmly, although the hold on her sword was visibly shaking.

“You have no knowledge of the power the owner of the amulet has over us?” the mermaid asked quietly. As she received no answer, she explained how the necklace of Prince Gilbert controlled her. “The six amulets which control the six dragons influence all of us. The creatures belonging to the related elements are under the control of the owner of the necklace. Making me, along with all the inhabitants of the ocean, a servant of said person,” she breathed before coughing in her hand. “It is our duty to protect the amulet and its owner.”

According to the legend, the amulet, Prince Gilbert was wearing, could control the Dragon of the Ocean. But I was not aware of the fact that his necklace held a power over the creatures which lived in the waters.

“We did not harm him,” I whispered. “And I don’t think that we are a great danger for him.”

She observed me with wary eyes, her shoulder-long black hair clang on her face due the water. “It is not your crew that was dangerous for him, but the pirate ship that is on its way to you which I tried to stop, but to no avail. They caught me and tortured me. Fortunately I could escape.”

At that point, we all started to panic a little on the inside. A pirate ship was tracking us down? Or was it the Marine? She should know, she was captured by them.

Lizzie shot me a worried look but acted instantly. “Noah, call the others, fetch Gilbert. Mathias, you know what to do and Feliks?” she watched me with demanding eyes. “Take care of her.”

With that command, Lizzie made her way to the Ship’s wheel, while they others made the preparations.

The ship’s current condition was worrying enough and how we were going to avoid any attacks of enemies, was a question that could not be answered.

“Okay,” I said, as I took hold of the wounded mermaid. “I am going to take you inside.” Without any fight, she let me carry her to Nat’s room. It was the only room where the medical stuff and all the bandages were.

“Your tail is totally heavy.” I said to her. It was an unused task to carry a mermaid. After my comment, she looked at me with a neutral expression. “I apologise for the inconvenience, but I felt that I could trust you. I can feel the presence of the amulet, so I assumed you would help me if I could warn you about the danger that you would be facing.” Her voice sounded weak, which was no coincidence, considering her heavy wounds. She was quiet, before she uttered something else that would lead to a conversation. “My name is Sakura.”

I looked at her with a neural expression and observed her form. Underneath all the blood were pastel red scales which adorned her tail. “I am Feliks and besides your heavy tail, your scales look fabulous.”

It was bold and odd compliment but that was just the way I was. To my wonder, she accepted my compliment with a tiny smile.

When I entered Nat’s room, I lay her down on the seat, where Raivis was sleeping hours before. I left quickly to look for Toris. He once again had to take care of a wounded female. Reaching his room, I was ready to knock on it, when Lizzie suddenly called me. At that particular moment, I ran out on the main deck. No one needed to tell me what was going on,when I saw the black sails of a ship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I apologise for not posting anything last week, I was really stressed with University, that I had no time and mood to write and update :O. I won’t promise if I can post regularly, but I will try and update as often as I can. Japan finally made an appearance :D and now the most feared moment has arrived: they are under attack at the most inconvenient moment :’D ]


	15. XV

_Toris_

I had been quite shocked, when Feliks fetched me again. He stood in front of my door, with a nervous and sweaty face. At first I thought Natalya would have a fever again, but I dismissed my worry the moment Feliks explained me what the matter was.

"We have another one who got injured."

"How?" I asked him. How badly injured must this person be? Before he could give me any answer, I heard shouting orders all over the main deck. "Other pirates?"

He nodded and led me to Natalya's room.

As I opened the door, I thought I would hallucinate upon seeing the creature which was seated next to Miss Natalya. Never before had I laid my eyes on a mermaid.

"W-What?"

I was not the only one who seemed perplex by the sight of the legendary creature, as I saw that Natalya was irritated by all the persons who were present in her room. She had just woken up from her slumber. "Who are you? What is going on?" She ordered to know.

"She came here to warn us," Feliks told her after he rushed by her side. "And you really need to stay calm."

"What warning?"

Everyone looked at Feliks. "Well Nat, you see we are kinda being attacked."

The tense silence was unbearable but broken after seconds by Natalya's outburst. "What?"

She tried to stand up but was stopped by my hand which annoyed her. "What do you want? Get away from me!" she hissed spitefully.

"Miss Natalya, you need to stay calm, your injuries are still in the healing process." My words were completely ignored, when she stood up and tried to regain balance. She turned around and looked at me with fiery eyes, "See, I can stand perfectly fi-"

I caught her, before any other bone in her body would be broken. She was not unconscious, but her weakened state would only increase if she would put up a fight against her own body. The blonde pirate's position in my arms was very unpleasant for her.

"Okay, then lay me down. Stop holding me," she whispered slightly irritated. Her eyes wandered towards the mermaid and bluntly asked her to present herself.

"I am a mermaid under the command of the owner of the amulet."

"Yes a mermaid, I can see that. But with the owner you mean… The Prince?" Natalya asked with narrowed eyes. "If she is her to protect him then we are a threat for him."

"Why should I be a threat for you? I am warning you of the dangers outside so that protection for the Prince is granted," stated the mermaid monotonously.

"Well we abducted him because we wanted to steal the amulet in order to save the Captain."

After Natalya's brief explanation of how we are a hazardous threat for the Prince, the mermaid's face darkened a bit. If one would not observe it closely, one could not see her light frowning, "What do you mean? Did you take him by force against his will?"

"We had no choice." Natalya affirmed. The mermaid starred at her with a neutral expression. Even if she looked clamed and innocent, I knew that she was a potential enemy due to our former actions towards the Prince. If she was a protector of the amulet –therefore a protector of the Prince- she would do anything to ensure his safety. "Please, we mean no harm. I need to treat your wound otherwise you will bleed to death."

The mystical mermaid shot me a neutral look and nodded, "Alright."

Minutes passed and while I was stopping the mermaid's bleeding, a question came into my mind. I had a lot of questions for the creature which I only knew by books or tales. Being a polite man, I did not intend to ask her and as Feliks popped the question which I had in my mind, I was glad that it was he who inquired her.

"Can your tail transform into legs?"

Every person in the room stopped their current actions and focused their attention to Feliks and the concerned woman. She on the other hand wore a calm expression. "Yes, but as long as my body is in contact with water, my tail will remain."

Seeing this as a problem, Feliks looked around himself and started to rummage through Natalya's wardrobe and clothes to find any kind of linen for the mermaid. If her body would turn, she would at least be covered. On a ship full of male pirates, it was no good recommendation to wander around the main deck without clothes, especially as a female.

"I know this is like totally weird for you, but if your legs will show up, I want you wear this," he shot Natalya a warning glance. She wanted to object his idea of giving a strange woman her clothes.  
As I was trying to treat her injuries, Feliks left the room to prepare for battle. Well that was the second plan, firstly we would try to get as far away from the enemy as possible. He insisted that I should stay in the room with both of the women.

I finally stopped her bleeding when her tail transformed itself into two legs. Being a Gentleman, I managed to give her the clothes just in time. After she was dressed, she explained her intentions concerning the Prince. "As long as he remains here, I will stay on the ship. I have dedicated my life to the task of protecting him and at the moment the approaching danger is constantly present." It was her way of saying that we would have another passenger on the ship.

"Thank you." She whispered quietly while touching her now bandaged leg. "You are the first Pirates who were gentle to me."

Hearing such words, I felt bad for her. She just wanted to honour her task in protecting the Prince but witnessed violation by the hands of others. That feeling was something I felt every day.  
Even if we are not from the same kind, I knew that we could strike up a gentle friendship. She watched me with friendly eyes. "My name is Sakura."

"Sakura? An uncommon name, but beautiful," I smiled at her. "I am T-"

"Could you stop your talking!" hissed Natalya across the room. My head turned to her the moment she exclaimed her annoyance. She was staring at me with narrowed eyes and I could not stop my heart from beating faster. Against all common-sense, my body reacted positively to everything she did, even if her face was glaring me down. I did not look away and saw that her face grew redder and angrier making her turn her attention towards Sakura. The latter one on the other hand did not feel the least affected by it. "I apologise but I think it is important to know the name of the person who treated my wounds."

Natalya's face regained its usual expression. "If you want to know, it's Toris." The way she spoke it out – even if it was normal for other ears – made me cheerful. Before I realised what I was doing, my teeth produced a big smile. She looked away and muttered something my ears did not catch. For the remaining time, she averted her attention elsewhere and ignored Sakura and me but while the mermaid and I were chatting, I caught her glaring at us but diverted her eyes quickly before I could properly look at her.

It was still calm outside; I heard some voices but no shots of cannons. Upon hearing my sigh, Sakura told me about her instinctive feelings of danger. "We are still being followed, we have to face them at one point because they will catch up," she observed her arm.

It was the glowing mark on the upper part of her arm that caught my sight.

"I was born with it. My family is responsible to keep the owner of the necklace safe," Sakura told me. My curiosity grew, unfortunately she could not tell me more about it when we heard ruckus outside. "They are almost here."

Suddenly a panting Elizabeta charged into the room. "Toris, I need you to get Gilbert as quickly as you can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Headcanon: Liet and Japan get along very well :3. I also wanted nyo!japan to be a mix of her 1p and 2p :) ]


	16. XVI

_Gilbert_

I was startled when Toris entered the room. While I was still slumbering, he dashed towards me. “My Pri- I mean Gilbert, you are needed on the deck, you have to-”

What nonsense was he muttering? Instead of finishing his sentence, he abruptly stopped. I could not think of any reason, until I heard light and softly chirping beside me. How? I sat up, seeing Toris’ astonished grimace, watching my surroundings. There next to my pillow was it. The cutest little bird my eyes have ever seen. From the first moment on, I knew that this bird was special. Which kind of bird it was, I did not know; it was a mystery. It looked at me with big dark innocent eyes. The fluffy feathers will grow over the time.

“ _Oh no… du süßes kleines Ding_ ,” I whispered quietly as I softly patted its head. “ _Keine Angst, ich werde mich um dich kümmern_.”

Toris, not understanding a word I said, cleared his throat to gain my attention, “By all means Sir, I have to fetch you. You are needed on board.”

“I shall call you… Awesome Gilbird.” A huge smile formed itself on my face.

Seeing that I was still enchanted from my new ‘family member’, he used the words I despises and fear the most.

“Gilbert, we are under attack.”

My head jerked up, staring with at him with wide eyes.

“What?” I asked him, puzzled.

“We are being followed by a ship with black sails. Neither Elizabeta nor any others of the crew are familiar with this vessel,” he breathed nervously. “Besides, our ship has major problems, being damaged by shipworms. And a few minutes ago I took care of an injured mermaid who claims to be the guardian of you and your family.”

My wide-eyed expression did not falter; the opposite was the case. I stared at him for almost a minute before he got a proper answer, which in my case was not very ‘proper’.

“ _W-Wie, w-was_?” Confusion was written all over my face. “ _Wie bitte_? What did you say? Under attack? Mermaid?”

Was I dreaming and trapped in a tasteless nightmare? Before I could inquire after an explanation, my necklace started to feel heavy. I have not taken it off and now the weight of it seems to pull me down. It was underneath my clothes and while grabbing it, the cute bird chirped nervously and hid its head in the blanket that surrounded him.

After taking the amulet out of my clothes, I was greeted with its glowing. My breath was stuck in my throat. What was going on?

“That must be Sakura’s doing,” Toris commented.

“And who is this Sakura?”

“The mermaid,” he affirmed. “She claims to come from a family which is connected to yours since the dragons have been sealed. Her bloodline is dedicated to protect yours. She is your guardian.”

“Oh? I was never told of that. Not even my mother knew about it.”

“She felt danger and wanted to warn us about it. Unfortunately she got caught by other pirates and tortured. I do not know how she could escape but she ended up on our ship wounded,” he told me with a tired face.

“So she is near. Does that explain the glowing of the amulet?”

Toris nodded and grabbed my hand. “We need to go to the main deck. The enemy ship is tracking us down.”

Before we left the room, I insisted on taking Gilbird with me; I would not dare to let him alone. As we faced the cold and dark night, I was not expecting such chaos. The ship with the black sails could be seen from afar.

“Finally,” I heard someone behind me muttering. It was Elizabeta’s voice.

“How long before they are catching up with us?” I asked without looking at her.

“If they are this fast, then less than ten minutes,” she murmured. “Plus our ship will not stand a chance against any cannon attacks. And they will shout any time.”

“How unawesome,” I sighed, holding my animal friend closer to my chest. My action inclined Elizabeta to look at my fellow little friend. “How cute.”

She did not get any more time to talk when a loud crash echoed through the ship. A blast wave threw all of us to the ground.

“What was that?” I shouted nervously growing frightened by the seconds.

“Cannons!”

They could use cannons within that distance?

“What are we going to do?” I heard Feliks demanding loudly. Everything was happening so fast. Members of the crew ran across the ship.

It was utter chaos.

Toris, who was still next to me, stood up. “Oh Lord.”

It was at that certain moment that my necklace got heavier, which made me look up. Before I could blink, a petite woman with black hair stood before me. She stared down at me and showed me her arm. It was adorned with the same symbol as the amulet I was wearing. The protector who was dedicated to save my life stood before me.

“Y-You… Y-you are…”

“Fear not, I will protect you,” She answered. Never before have I seen any kind of magic, until this very moment. Her eyes lit up and the atmosphere began to transform into a veil of fog. Awesome. My mermaid-bodyguard could perform magic.

“Good job, this will buy us some time,” Toris muttered as Feliks came to help me up. “That magic spell was fabulous. We need to flee. Sail towards an island.”

“How do we know if all we see if fog?”

The inquiry Toris had uttered was answered directly by the mermaid, “My companions under water will lead us to an island.”

We were escorted by other mermaids or sea creatures? I was overwhelmed with the happenings at the moment. First I was sleeping quietly, before we got attacked and saved by a mermaid. A mermaid, the first supernatural creature I have ever seen.

It was a shocking experience. I had witnessed men dying on battlefields; I was trained to fight in wars, on land. This was a complete new world, especially the awesome part of the magical mermaid. Despite the brutal damages the ship had, we had no casualties. Thank God.

It was safe; regretfully I was not prepared of the incidents which were to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: In this AU, mermaids can perform some magic, but only related with the element of water. They have more access to water-magic, if they are surrounded by water. In this case, the ocean provides a large amount of energy and water *captain obvious~*. I hope the chapter is okay; I feel as if my writing is getting worse :’D, but it is evening here and I am tired :’) so please forgive my mistakes .]
> 
> Translations:  
> Du süßes kleines Ding - You sweet little thing  
> Keine Angst, ich werde mich um dich kümmern - Fear not, I will take care of you  
> Wie? Was? – How? What?   
> Wie bitte? – Come again?


	17. XVII

_Elizabeta_

Everything happened so fast. We were on the ship, surrounded by a wild sea, fog and an enemy ship. The mermaid performed magic and saved us. Luckily we have been able to locate an island with the help of Sakura’s friends underwater. While everyone has gathered their things, we prepared to go ashore. The island was in close distance as the wind got stronger; it was so strong that the ship shifted uncontrollably. Had the vessel not been under bad condition, it would have withstood the forceful wind. Unfortunately, luck had left us again. The wooden construction of the ship started to broke apart. “Oh no,” I had muttered. The fog blended our view and before I realised what was occurring, we were all separated on different parts of the ship. The vessel had broken into several pieces; it could not withstand any natural power anymore. Due to the blowing wind, the waves pushed the wooden pieces in different directions. My crew was separate again, by natural force. Before the water could pull me in its deep abyss, Gilbert grabbed my hand. He pulled me into a little boat which had been near the railing. I stayed with him and his supernatural guardian who watched us with closely.

 

After hours of drifting with the waves, an island came into view. Despite the weak visibility, we succeeded on finding the shore of the island nearby. “I hope the rest of them are alright,” I commented slightly nervously.

“Don’t worry, they are. We controlled a specific water stream which led them and us to this island,” said the mermaid who looked paler than before. Even if we were hungry, I knew that her weakened complexion had another reason but did not ask her about it.

 

“What island is this?” Gilbert questioned the moment his right food touched the sand. His bird was comfortably settled in his scarf, which he had put around his throat. “It is an old island; the ancient home of the water dragon,” The mermaid saw our widened eyes but continued nonetheless, “After the dragon had been sailed, it became the home of other creatures.”

“Is it magical?” Gilbert breathed.

“Yes, but that power is extremely weak,” The supernatural creature answered sadly. ”Though your presence will heighten the magic.”

“Are you sure there won’t be other persons?” My voice was hoarse, craving for water to fill my throat.

“It was the only island within the distance. Furthermore, this land is not easy to find. We only have to find the rest of the crew,” the mermaid concluded. My task of saving my father was being scheduled. How would we find Captain Roberts? Before I could utter my worries, Sakura grabbed her leg with a grunt. “It has reopened.”

Now I knew why she was so pale. In addition to her wound, her energy was over-used to the point of fainting. Using such an amount of magic would strain any energy out of a body.

“Oh,” Gilbert voiced loudly, as he supported her body against his. While being in that position, I watched them with wary eyes. We were on a god forsaken island which only the mermaid knew about. “We have to find the rest of the crew,” I muttered.

“I can come with you, if you find peppermint,” the mermaid said, oppressing a painful groan.

“Peppermint?”

“Yes, my Prince. The oil of that pant is calming and disinfecting my wounds. While you quickly look for it, I can regain some energy,” she looked at me. “I trust you. I know you will protect him.”

I answered her with a nod and grabbed Gilbert by the hand.

After walking a certain distance, Gilbert grinned confidently, “Since I have met your crew, all females have almost fainted. I really must be that awesome.” After his declaration, Gilbird piped happily.

While rolling my eyes, I punched his arm in a playful manner. He really was full of himself. “Ow that hurt.”

I shook my head, smiling to myself, “you really are an odd person.”

He smiled and I could not help myself but blush. I was too affected by his looks and emotions and it was annoying me. “Oh damn,” I cursed silently, facing my feet.

“mh?”

“N-Nothing, just thinking.”

“About what?” he watched me closely. “Hey, are you alright, your face is red.”

“Y-yes, just feeling tired,” I turned away from him and hastened my pace. “H-hey, wait!” He shouted, running towards me. Gilbird was chirping angrily because he was tossed around in the scarf.

“Hey… oh wait?” He finally asked, looking at the entrance of a forest. Between all the bushes, was the specific green plant we were searching for. “There it is,” I whispered. After we had gathered some peppermint leafs, we walked back to where Sakura was resting.

“I hope she is alright.”

“She will. Have you seen what kind of magic she can perform?” I smiled, reassuring him, “She will be alright.”

 

We got back as quickly as possible. The sight that confronted us was something I had not expected. Sakura was lying on a big stone on the beach, where we had left her. She was sleeping and someone was approaching her. “Who is this?” Gilbert whispered with an uncertain expression. The stranger was too far away to be recognised. Without thinking, we ran towards the scenery. I stopped dead in my tracks. “What?” I murmured shocked. “What is he doing here?”

“You know him?”

My eyes narrowed, “Kirkland.” Gilbert, having heard the name more than once, dashed towards the pair.

Though I had the hopes he would not touch her inappropriately, I was very protective of any woman who was in the presence of a stranger. My feet moved slower as I witnessed a very uncommon scene. In front of me was not the Arthur Kirkland I thought I knew. I observed how he, upon seeing the poor creature, settled next to her and brushed one of her dark strands out of her porcelain skin. Even from afar, it was clear that he admired her. His eyes went from her face to her wound and a dark scowl adorned his face.

“Retreat from her,” Gilbert hissed, “immediately.” He was holding a sword against Kirkland’s throat. Neither of us had noticed, that Gilbert had drawn the short form his sheath.

“Calm down, lad,” Kirkland murmured, turning his attention towards the Prince and me. “Oh, it’s you. Then this bloke must be His Royal Highness.”

The pirate’s grin was far more arrogant than Gilbert’s, who withdraw the weapon.

“Yes, but what the heck are you doing here, Kirkland?”

“I had problems with my ship and we failed to find any island because of some bloody fog,” he explained, turning his now worried eyes back to Sakura’s injury. “What happened to this lovely lady?”

“She got shot and tortured by pirates,” my voice was dripping with bitterness.

“What?” Kirkland asked darkly.

“U-uh...” Sakura’s eyelids opened slowly. It was silent for a few seconds.

“We have found the plant.”

We looked at Gilbert after his exclamation, only Sakura’s eyes fell on the unfamiliar man who sat next to her lying body. “Oh, y-yes,” she whispered as she tried to sit up.

Kirkland steadied her upper body and helped her sitting up. While he was smirking at her, she could only stare at him with a questioning face. After retrieving the peppermint, she tended her leg, while Kirkland tried to help her in any way. I heard her asking him who he was which he only answered with a, “Captain Kirkland. And I am always at your service, miss.”

Gilbert shook his head muttering a loud, “oh lord”.

“Hey, you are just as bad as him,” I accused him with a smile. Gilbert’s flabbergasted face was priceless.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Oh Gosh, I am so sorry, I had absolutely no time to upload any chapter (or write any chapter). Please excuse this shitty chapter :O; I admit that I have lost the motivation to write this fanfiction, so I shortened the main plot. I’ll finish it, but it will take some time. And sorry for all the mistakes I wrote, it is evening here and I am so tired :’D]


	18. XVIII

_Natalya_

Sand… It was everywhere and worst of all, we had no ship and our representative Captain was lost. I was sleeping when the ship was having problems; but woke up due to the loud sounds. No one could sleep under such conditions. The one that came to my rescue was Toris. This Colonel was everywhere I was and it was displeasing me greatly. He was irritating me with his kind character and protective manner. I hated it; at least that’s how I felt. Feliks was with us, musing about the whereabouts of Elizabeta. “I could not protect her,” I muttered to myself, not expecting anyone to pay attention to me. To my dismay, the only one who pays me more attention than his own injuries or fundamental needs was Toris. “Do not worry. She is a strong woman, she knows how to protect herself,” he said calmly, watching me with attentive eyes. “Plus, you were in no condition to take care of her.”

I looked at my hands, they were almost cured but I still could not use them properly; wielding a sword was out of question. Thankfully my fever had gone down; it could not impair my mind anymore.

“Do you really think he meant what he said?” Feliks asked; his eyebrows were knitted, his face masked with a scowl. He was referring to Arthur Kirkland, who had crossed our path almost an hour ago. He and some of his crew discovered us. The Captain had claimed that his ship course had been extremely affected by the fog and the stream the mermaid on our board had created. Neither he nor I knew about the mermaid’s power until it was mentioned by the Colonel. Kirkland, upon hearing Toris speaking about the water creature, listened attentively. Toris told him about the ship’s wrecking and her connection to the powerful amulet the Prince was wearing. This surely was an interesting notion for the pirate whose smirking was plastered on his face. Every time Toris mentioned the mermaid, my blood started to boil. It was an unknown feeling. I was not sure if I was angry with her or him, but he always seemed to smile when he was talking about her. This had already occurred yesterday evening, when both were having a conversation; I was a little upset and could not explain why. Maybe it was the presence of both. Before Toris could utter the part of why she was on our ship in the first place, Feliks had intervened. “Due to the breaking of the ship, the crew was split. Lizzie is not with us…”

“She is alone?” Kirkland asked, aware of the situation she was in.

“The Prince, along with the mermaid could fetch her,” Toris added. At that, Arthur stood up, motioning his crew member to come near him. They were planning something.

“What are you up to?” I inquired angrily. Kirkland, who was well informed of my spirit and impatience, smirked. “We are forming a strategy which would help us finding your beloved Captain Elizabeta,” he informed me, proud of my flabbergasted reaction. He wanted to find her? His stupid grin held such arrogance and mystery. One thing I learned about my own profession: Pirates cannot be trusted.

“Why?” Feliks stood up, asking the very question everyone had in their mind.

“We can only survive if we are all together. Only God knows who is lurking in the depths of these woods,” Arthur answered, pointing his finger towards the forest which was kilometres away from us. “Did you know that this was the enchanted Island of the water dragon? And if the Prince, who has inherited the blood of the one that has sealed the dragons and is in the possession of the amulet which holds the dragon, arrives on this very land, what do you think would happen? We are not aware of the power this Island has.”

It was silent, until Toris coughed, “you mean, the dragon could accidently be freed?”

Kirkland nodded, “That is why we need to find him and especially the mermaid who is, besides the amulet itself, a guardian who is capable of sealing the dragon.”

From where did he have gained this information? Was it a conversation topic amongst the pirates? Nevertheless, it was a logical process to find all of them and after this conversation. Kirkland and his men had split up. I wanted to join them, but was too injured according to Toris.

 

Feliks was still thinking about Arthur’s words. I certainly did not expect them to return quickly, but looking towards the beach, I discovered that four people were returning. They were too far away to be recognisable, but I was sure I saw Elizabeta and her companions. As they came closer, I saw her laughing along with the Prince while Kirkland was carrying the mermaid on the back. The creature was still wearing some of my clothes; a shirt and trousers which were teared. Apparently her wound has reopened again, preventing her from walking. Some blood was dripping down her leg. While Elizabeta was jesting and smiling, Sakura was blushing and trying to hide her face. I never thought I would see her flushed; she did not strike me as one who could be affected by anything, but being carried around by Kirkland certainly was a reason to be embarrassed.

“I-Is h-he carrying her?” Feliks’ face was just as shocked as Toris’. No one had expected Kirkland to carry anybody. For some, he was a good fellow, but for most people, he was a heartless Captain. I could tell that he was both; you just had to choose how you would approach him. He thought of us as rivals.

As Elizabeta caught our eyes, she ran. I hated hugs but hers were welcoming. She embraced me, “Thank God you are alright.”

The rest of her group arrived. “Has Sakura’s injury reopened?” Toris inquired, showing great concern. One could see that some kind of ointment had been put on the leg, but it did not stop the bleeding.

“Yes, we have found some peppermint and Kirkland,” Elizabeta pointed to said Captain, “insisted on coming back to you immediately. He suggested carrying the mermaid so we would be here faster.”

“So that is your name. Sakura,” Kirkland grinned. Sakura shot Toris a desperate look. It seems that she did not want Kirkland to know her name or carrying her. She seemed to be completely overwhelmed by such closeness. The Colonel understood, “Let me look at your leg.”

Kirkland, not amused to be ordered to let the mermaid down, frowned down upon the brunette. “Are you a professional doctor or what?”

“Yes he is,” Feliks stated, defending the Colonel to his surprise. Arthur scowled, having no other option but to sit the mermaid down. “Thank you,” she muttered, unable to cope with this situation. She had told us that she was not used to kindness. While she moved her leg to give Toris a good view of her wound, Kirkland observed both of them.

“What happened with Kirkland?” I asked Elizabeta, who rolled her eyes. “I think he admires her. Since he has seen her, he acts completely protective. You had to see his face when he learned about the incidences in which she got hurt. He was furious beyond reason.”

“He knows that she is a mermaid,” I said to her, “Don’t you think he wants to use her for any purpose, such as selling or for a great fortune?”

Elizabeta shook her head and explained that such ideas where not in his mind. Strangely enough, he was acting extremely kind towards her, even if it was a bit forward. But this seemed normal, after all, we were talking about Arthur Kirkland.

“She seems to be overwhelmed by his attention,” I whispered to her.

“You have no idea. She has never met such people as we are. I think she never had expected such an event,” Elizabeta smiled, amused by the sight of a slightly overprotective Kirkland. “If he is provoking Toris or any other, I will warn him,” I muttered darkly. Now I was getting upset about Toris tending to the mermaid and the possibility of Kirkland messing with the Colonel.

“Aha,” was all Elizabeta said. She almost sang it. “What is it?” I asked confused. “Oh nothing, just thinking about the lovely atmosphere,” she smiled with a weird look. Was she hinting at something?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I hope this chapter is okay :O, I am sorry for posting it so late (past midnight here :’D). And yes I am hinting the “love is in the air” atmosphere here :’D *whispers* It has began ~]


	19. XIX

_Arthur_

“Are you done?” I asked impatiently. For almost ten minutes, I was watching as the self-proclaimed doctor was treating Sakura. Although everyone seemed to like him, I could not support the idea of him taking care of her. Upon hearing my irritated question, he and the mermaid looked at me. While his face showed uneasiness, hers was adorned with a blush and she quickly averted her gaze to her leg. She was absolutely adorable and I felt the need to protect her at any cost. It must be due to my childhood. I grew up without a mother; my father told me she had died months after my birth. It was only him and me. He had been a sailor all his life who joined a pirate crew when I was a few years old. ‘Come son, we will live on a ship and have many adventures together,’ he had said. The sea was my home.

“You really have to rest now,” the Colonel requested, glancing at my form before he went away to join the rest of the group, leaving me with Sakura. Her body-language signalled uncertainty. She did not want to be alone with me; which was clear hours ago when she had refused to tell me her name. He eyes stared in the direction Toris had gone. “You don’t like me,” I blurted out, kneeling down beside her. “You are not even looking at me.”

Her beautiful brown eyes finally met mine. “I don’t know you and neither do you know me,” she said with a calm face, “you are a pirate.”

“Oh, I forgot, mermaids tend to disfavour pirates.”

“Y-Yes,” she stuttered, trying to gain her emotionless façade back.

“And still you are supporting Elizabeta and her crew.”

“The prince trusts them, so do I.”

I smirked but inside I was growing more annoyed by her urge to protect the Prince. It was her fate since she was born. She would dedicate her life to protect him.

The moment, Toris had spoken of her being a company of the prince, my interest was caught.

“You know, I am not unaware of your kind,” I informed her, sitting in a crossed-leg position next to her.

“All your kind,” she hissed while emphasising the last word, “knows enough about my species to either kill or sell us on slavery market.”

The fire in her eyes confirmed my thoughts about her; she was strong-willed. “Those types of businesses do not strike my interest,” I replied dryly, “My stepmother was a mermaid.”

“H-how?” Sakura asked shocked, gazing warily into my eyes. I would never tell any soul about my past, but being with her changed my perspective; I felt confident enough to talk about it. “My father and I were members of a pirate crew. He had the difficult task to raise me without any female mother figure. The poor man suffered from his wife’s death just like I did,” I breathed, focussing my attention on the waves which clashed against the sandy beach. “One day, we suffered shipwreck. I could not swim and was still too small to comprehend the situation. My body was sinking into the deep abyss of the sea and I did not notice as someone pulled me out of the water.”

“A mermaid…,” Sakura whispered.

“Yes. My father could not thank her enough.”

I smiled, watching Sakura with kind-hearted eyes. “I liked her from the first moment on. She stayed with us because I did not want her gone; she was protective of me and after some months my old man had developed feelings for her. Both got married and we were a real family again… But this is an old tale of my life.”

It was the reason why I felt protective over Sakura. Beside her adorableness, she and my stepmother shared some characteristics.

“O-oh.”

“She told me everything about the ocean, mermaids and the water dragon. I am not as ignorant and cruel as you may think,” my voice grew more silent with every word. The last part of my sentence reminded me of the fact how people saw me. Why should she change her mind? She got mistreated by pirates. “Of course you would-” I stopped myself before saying something bad. Sakura’s eyes were filled with concern, “I-”

“We need to move,” I muttered, interrupting her. My arms picked her up quickly and we went towards the others. She put her arms around my neck to be more steadied. She flushed lightly, looking at the ground which nonetheless caused a little smirk on my face.

 

“Kirkland, one of your men had arrived,” Elizabeta called, “He told us that he has found the rest of my crew and brought them to your camp.”

“Good, then we will join them,” I commanded.

 

After we had finally settled down in my crew’s camp, I sat Sakura down near the bonfire. I certainly did not want her to freeze during the night. She thanked me quietly. Regardless of her softer response, I only glimpsed at her, before I informed my crew of the circumstances. My mind was going wild; I was far too attached to her. Beside my urge to protect her, my admiration for this woman was something I could not deny. But still, I had to not be too distracted. At least she was aware of my past life and knew that my actions towards her were truthful. I approached some of my crew who looked concerned.

“Captain, as we were strolling near the woods, we heard several noises and found footprints.”

“Humans?” I asked my subordinate.

“Could be… ”

Thinking of any other possibilities, I ordered a group of men to inspect the island any further. Those who stayed presented me a bag of fruits and a dead pig which they had hunted down. We had food for the night which came faster as we expected. Elizabeta stayed with her crew and expressed how glad she was to know that none of her members had been injured. She stayed with the Prince who entertained her with joyful jokes. Never before had I seen her laughing so merrily. Her group was happily gathered together even though the situation in which they were in was not the best. All the while my eyes glanced towards Sakura, who on certain occasions glimpsed back at me.

“I will take the first watch,” I exclaimed. No one objected my suggestion; most of them were tired and prepared their sleeping quarters.

Within an hour, everyone was asleep. The only matter that bothered me was the group of men, who had still not returned. These worries soon disappeared as I slowly felt my eyelids growing heavier.

 

A cracking sound awoke me and I realised that I had been asleep. My body shot in the air, controlling if everyone was safe. My eyes fell on the one that was worrying me the most, only to see that she was not there. “No,” I whispered, rushing to her empty sleeping place. Why would she be the only one missing? Had someone taken her? I recognised sander marks on the ground. Anger took over my body as I looked for her nearby the camp.

 

“Sakura?” I called, only to find her sitting behind a tree. Her widened look and complete humiliated face expressed utter embarrassment. Unfortunately, I had completely forgotten that every person has the fundamental need to relieve oneself. It was not a nice feeling to be confronted with such a situation. Feeling ashamed and frustrated, I turned away, trying to give her as much privacy as she needed. “I-I apologise. I-I did n-not k-know… E-er,” I stammered, trying to compose myself. “A-Are you alright? I-I mean your w-wound? Lord this is so a-awkward.”

“Y-yes, I-I…”

“I-I will g-go back now,” I uttered, ashamed by my behaviour.

“E-Er Captain… I-I am d-done, b-but I need h-help. I-I have problems s-standing up.”

I was glad that the night provided me enough lacking light, so she could not see my red face. I imagined her face colour was the same.

She needed some minutes, before she allowed me to carry her back. Her head hung low in shame; I saw her eyes only for some seconds which screamed pure mortification. “H-how were you capable of coming here w-when you could not properly walk?” I questioned her bashfully.

“I-I crawled.”

 

I put her back on her spot and stood up, as someone behind me coughed. “C-Captain?”

It was one of the men of the missing group. “Yes?” I turned around, seeing him full of blood. “W-we are not alone,” he muttered before he fell on the ground. “There are o-other… pirates.” I rushed by his side. “No… Elizabeta, wake up,” I screamed.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I had much fun writing awkward Iggy and embarrassed Japan :3 this pairing is so adorable :D. I hope this chapter is alright :O I am so tired and I believe there are a lot of grammar mistakes :’D but it’s past midnight here and I am missing my bed to badly :’D.)


	20. XX

_Elizabeta_

“No… Elizabeta, wake up.”

The moment I heard someone screaming my name, my body cringed.

As I opened my eyes, I saw Kirkland kneeling down next to an injured man. “What has happened?” I asked, not understanding the situation.

“I sent some of my man into the forest, and the only one who returned was him,” Kirkland said with a harsh voice, “we are not alone on this island.”

Before I could respond, a blade made contact with my neck.

“One move and I will kill her.”

I could not see who was threatening to end my life. The only persons that filled my view were my and Kirkland’s crew. “Eliz,” Gilbert whispered, staring at me with worried eyes. He was right next me; I could tell that he wanted save me.

“If you want her to live, you need to come with me. You are taken hostage.”

I could see the hesitation in the eyes of my crew. Their freedom was important for them, but they would not let me die.

“Then you will come with me,” a new manly voice echoed through our camp, “I will not let the Prince escape. He has the amulet.”

So, they knew. They were all aware of Gilbert and the power the necklace held. I turned my head to the source of the voice. The man that stared into my eyes was someone I had never come across.

“And in addition to that, I see that you have acquired a mermaid,” he simpered, making his way towards Sakura. “And look how nice she is.”

Kirkland raised his sword to the man’s throat, “Take one more step and I will end your life.” Arthur’s facial expression was one of a murderer.

The man stopped, smirking at Kirkland, “Oh… Being quit protective, aren’t we, Captain Kirkland? Don’t worry I will not hurt such a beautiful face.”

“You bloody G –”

“Oh, there is no reason to curse,” the stranger jeered, looking around until his eyes fell once again on me. “Come on men, take them to the camp.”

 

We had lost before we could even defend ourselves and within minutes, we were forced to follow them into the woods. “I am sorry,” I apologised, looking briefly at Gilbert. He, upon seeing my sad expression, tried to smile. “It’s alright you could not predict such a situation.”

“It is my fault… If I had not abducted you, you would not have been in such a position,” I admitted.

Gilbert took my hand softly in his, “I would have done the same, if my brother had been in such a situation.” My eyes gazed into his, trying to understand what he just had said.

“We will handle this,” he blushed while a smile was stretched over his face. “If you and your crew are capable of defeating the royal army, then we will handle those pirates.”

His smile turned into an arrogant smirk, “And I am awesome, so of course we will –” I hit him in the rips, before he could utter another word. “Autsch, that hurt,” he shouted.

“Quiet!”

The stranger in front of us faced Gilbert and me. “Be quiet,” he hissed, pulling his sword out of his sheath, demonstrating that he could slit our throats within seconds. We walked quietly side by side, to the place where they would take us. All the while, Gilbert refused to let go of my hand. I did not deny that I liked his warm hand enclosing mine. It was a feeling of safety. I would have never thought that I would feel comfortable around him. During the walk I observed how the rest of the crew was coping with the situation.

Feliks was walking beside Toris and Natalya. She was blushing and looking at her bandaged hands, while Toris talked to her. It was clear to everyone that the man was struck by her beauty. I suspected that he had developed feelings for her of which she was not aware of. Behind them, Noah and Raivis were trying to lighten the mood with chitchatting. Both boys were watched by Noah’s older brother, whose face was unreadable.

My eyes then fell on Kirkland. The right part of his face was bleeding, which resulted out of a fight. He hit a man, who wanted to pull Sakura on her feet. They forced her to walk which was not possible due to her injured leg. Never before had I seen him in such anger. Before anyone of our enemies could kill him by any further attacks, I intervened. “She cannot walk, she is wounded,” I had explained to them. At that moment, Kirkland took her in his arms to carry her. He ignored his own bleeding cut on his visage as he slowly walked forward.   
She on the other hand was not used to be protected and was staring at Kirkland’s injury. Her once expressionless face, showed a great amount of concern.

Lastly, my eyes fell back on the man who led us to the camp. He refused to tell us his name.

 

I sighed, becoming more tired.

 

Half an hour later, we arrived. We were separated; each group was guarded by three pirates.

“Where are my men?” Kirkland asked darkly.

“Engaged in an inquiry,” the leader of the strange pirates answered. Kirkland glared at them, before he returned his attention back to the rest of my crew.

“I want to talk with the owner of the amulet,” the stranger ordered. Upon hearing him, I grabbed Gilbert’s arm. “Don’t worry…,” Gilbert muttered with a stern face, “They are not going to kill me.”

He stood up with an expression I had only seen when he was our prisoner in the hold. I was glad he did not give me that look anymore. He turned his head, giving me a soft smile before he left. My eyes followed him and the stranger, who were walking away from us.

 

[A/N: I hope the chapter is okay :3, I apologise for its shortness :’D. I am really tired and I overlooked that chapter but I am not sure if there are still some mistakes. I am not quite sure if I can post any chapter next week due the assignments I have to write :’D.]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I hope the chapter is okay :3, I apologise for its shortness :’D. I am really tired and I overlooked that chapter but I am not sure if there are still some mistakes. I am not quite sure if I can post any chapter next week due the assignments I have to write :’D.]


	21. XXI

_Gilbert_

The stranger took me further away from Elizabeta and the rest of the crew. Trees separated us from them, before we stopped in front of a tent.

“I was only the messenger,” he said, “Captain, he is here.”

A young man with lightly curled brown hair faced me while the “messenger” disappeared.

“Why do you want to speak with me?”

His green eyes glanced at me, “We have our reasons.”

I watched him, trying to analyse his look.

“I know that it is about the amulet… But you cannot use it without my assistance,” I informed him.

“I know. Why do you think we haven’t killed you yet?”

“So you won’t kill us if I will use the power of the necklace an-”

“I have a deal,” he interrupted me boldly, staring at me with serious eyes. “We know who set Elizabeta up.”

“Captain Roberts, I know” I answered, “and how do you know her name?”

He smirked, “She is famous due to her success of abducting you.” Even though he was praising her, I could not deny the fact that I was annoyed. He was giving me information I already knew. “And we know her because Roberts told us he would use her to get the amulet.”

“What?” I fumed, “Are you working for him?” My rage was at a point where I would break his neck. Before I punched his face, his face grew serious. “We are not, he tricked us.”

I was bewildered, what was he suggesting? My authoritative side took over, as I commanded him to explain himself within five minutes.

“If I tell you this, I want your confirmation that the kingdom of Borussia is removing my crew from their official list of criminals.”

“It depends on what you are going to say,” I added strictly.

The man smiled, shaking his head. Apparently he was expected no less of me. “Alright, but it will be extremely interesting for you,” he chuckled, composing himself several seconds afterwards. “It is not Captain Roberts who is behind Elizabeta. Before he abducted Elizabetat’s father, he was ordered to use the former Captain of my crew to get the amulet of the water dragon. This attempt of receiving the necklace failed.”

My sight wandered to the ground. Was that the attack that happened one year ago?

“I was told that half of the crew was killed,” I muttered.

“We could flee, but my old Captain paid the price. We failed to steal it and Roberts killed him. He made it very clear that we would be isolated by the other pirates and put on every country’s list of criminals.”

His once hard and grinning face was showing signs of sadness. I still could not understand why he was telling me this.

“For one year now, we tried to avoid Roberts and his corrupt deals. My crew and I are sick of this situation. Being a pirate under such condition is bad. But seeing that you have stranded on this island, I took it as a sign,” he breathed, looking intensely at me. “I want to form an alliance with you and the crew.”

“I-I…. What?”

Was he serious? I was confused by his plans, why was he doing this? “If you really mean that, why did you attack us and Kirkland’s men?”

“Oh, first of all, his men attacked us and secondly, I wanted to annoy Kirkland. He will recognise me as soon as he sees my face,” he was laughing, “And for your hostage taking, would you have come freely to this camp? I don’t think so. You would have avoided anybody due to the risk of being used for the necklace.”

My jaw dropped and I could only stare at him. “I know it sounds absolutely insane, but I haven’t finished the part of the tale that is the most interesting for you,” he said.

“What is it about?” I challenged.

“You are only aware of Captain Robert’s viciousness and his way of blackmailing other pirates to do his work. But do you know who paid him to get your necklace?”

The only answer he received from me was silence. He sighed, preparing himself for my next reaction. “Do you know the Duke Edelstein?”

My breath was caught in my throat. What did this foolish man have to do with all those circumstances? “I do. What do you mean? He paid Roberts?”

The green eyed Pirate nodded, “He wants his Dukedom to become a Kingdom. He wants a higher rank and with the amulet of an elemental dragon, such as your Water necklace, he would have enough power.”

“W-what? H-how?” I thought loudly, “So he wants a war… Which countries does he want to attack?” I asked darkly. The mood changed dramatically.

“Well guess… If he has your amulet and forces you to use it.”

I had always felt an odd aura around Edelstein when he was in the same room with me. It was no secret that he hated me greatly. “My country won’t be the only that he would attack, right?”

The pirate nodded.

So it had been Edelstein and his Countrymen that wanted power. The attack one year ago was planned by him. He paid a notorious pirate crew to get my necklace. I knew that his family was jealous of the power of Borussia. “How do you know all this?” I asked baffled. The man wanted to answer, but did not as he saw my expression. “Well it wouldn’t be the first time, a royal would make a treaty with criminals,” I whispered, reminding myself of my father’s situation.

“I don’t expect you to believe me, but I know that you are not stupid and aware of the corrupt nature of pirates and royal people. They are not so different after all.”

His comment was truthful in a way, but I did not consider myself corrupt. Days ago, when I was in my chamber, I refused to think about the future which my father had planned for me. A marriage and the role of becoming King was all he wanted for me. Now I could not wait to become King. I would take things into my own hand and make changes for everyone. Humanity was more important than power. “What other criteria do you have in the deal?” I inquired. He smirked, “We will side together against Roberts and Edelstein.”

I remained silent, reflecting the situation. He was young but his eyes expressed how exhausted he was. His life was not the same anymore. After having taken away his older Captain, the crew wanted revenge. They would do anything for vengeance.

If they would work under my command, they would be considered soldiers of the Kingdom of Borussia. The status of a pirate would be suspended and they would officially and legally work for my Kingdom. Maybe I could save Elizabeta with the same strategy.

“From that moment on, you will work for me and I do not mean only for the next few weeks. I am taking you under my order and integrating you in my Kingdom’s army. You will not betray me, or you will meet a side of me which no one wants to witness,” I suggested strongly, waiting for him to accept my demands of the alliance.

“I will certainly not betray you, if I propose an alliance, I am honest.”

“You have to work together with Kirkland, so I want no drama,” I added, holding my hand to him. My gut told me that he was sincere which was odd. I had my problems trusting someone strange, but he had something that told me that I could trust him.

“Captain Antonio Fernández Carriedo, at your service, Your Royal Highness” he affirmed with a grin, shaking my hand. “And I want the rank of an admiral.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Oh Gosh, I made it :’D I finished this chapter :’D. I hope it is not too mindblow or confusing with all the turns, etc. And what would by a Pirate story without Pirate Iggy and Pirate Spain? :P. Anyway, I hope the chapter is okay :O Pardon my grammar and mistakes, it is late and I was working the whole day on my essay (which I still haven’t finished yes :’D fml :’D).]


	22. XXII

_Toris_

After the enemy pirates allowed me to take care of Kirkland's wounded men, I returned back to my original spot. Natalya sat next to me. While she was still analysing the enemies, I was observing her hands. The injury was almost healed, but it was still affecting her capability to fight properly.

"What is it?" she asked grumpily as she noticed my staring. I cringed, hearing her annoyed undertone. "I was just… thinking," I answered, turning my sight towards my own hands. We were treated like hostages. Within five days, I had been pushed into that role which I was not used to. I was a Colonel under the orders of the King and Prince. "Oh Lord," I muttered, gaining Natalya's attention.

"Hey," some of the strangers shouted, "If you are done treating Kirkland's men, come here and take care of me and my men."

He glared at me and pointed towards his men. I stood up reluctantly. As I glanced at his face, recognition hit me. I had seen those visages one year ago during the attack in Borussia. They had tried to break into the castle and attacked the guards and the army, including me. Although I was a gentle person, these pirates made me angrier the more I thought about last years' events. I was standing motionless before the enemy crew while they watched me with confusing looks, until one of them nudged his neighbour into the ribs with widened eyes.

"So, you remember me," I whispered dangerously. No one was accustomed to my dark tone; therefore everyone was staring at me. The enemies were cringing. The aura, which surrounded me, was hazardous. I did not noticed Natalya's approaching form, "Calm down, Colonel. As much as I want to kick their arses, we cannot afford a fight in such a situation."

I turned my head, gazing into her blue-violet eyes.

Her appearance and words had a calming effect on me and within seconds, my demeanour was steadier.

I was so lost in her eyes that I forget everything around me. She stared back at me and grew more uncomfortable. My mouth formed a smile the moment I saw her blushing. "W-well," she stuttered grumpily. For me it was a lovely sound. The blonde averted her gaze towards the trees of the woods. I followed her eyes and caught the approaching figures of Gilbert and a man whom I had seen last year during the attacks. They were talking calmly among each other. My flabbergasted face showed my complete perplexity. Gilbert was talking to somebody who planned the raiding party.

Undoubtedly, I was not the only one who was surprised of seeing both of them together. Especially Kirkland's crew was shocked to see Gilbert's new companion. Kirkland himself was angry. With a grim and red face, he demonstrated how much he opposed this new acquaintanceship. "Captain Antonio Fernández Carriedo!" Arthur growled, racing towards the addressed person. "You!"

The brunette pirate smiled boldly at him, "Yes, me."

Kirkland grew redder. "What the bloody hell are you doing here? You… You attacked my men," he shouted furiously. Despite the unknown reason of their hate for each other, the rivalry between the two was obvious. Antonio's smirk turned into a grim line as he observed Kirkland closely. "Your men attacked my crew," he corrected, looking for someone behind Kirkland. His eyes met Sakura's and he immediately walked towards her. It was no secret that the man wanted to provoke Kirkland; and his plan was a success.

" _Que linda_ … So, that is the lovely mermaid," he commented with a huge grin, winking at Kirkland. "What is your name, beautiful?"

The moment we saw Kirkland's dark face, we were all aware of the chaos that would break out. Before he could harm Antonio in any way, Elizabeta and Feliks and stopped them. "Calm down!" Elizabeta screamed. "What the hell?"

No one listened as the atmosphere started to get tenser, until Gilbert showed his commanding demeanour. " _RUHE_!" His voice boomed through the forest, making everyone silent.

"Plans have changed," he exclaimed dominantly, "I will tell you after I have spoken to Toris." Every present stilled.

"We have a lot to discuss," Gilbert announced, taking me by the side. His bird was awake due to his master's loud outburst. His grumpy look indicated his lack of sleep; I understood the creature's feelings. It just wanted to rest and had not one chance to do it properly.

"What exactly is the meaning of this?"

"I have made an alliance," he spoke shooting quick look towards Antonio, "we are at war."

I observed him, completely confused. "What?"

"Captain Fernández Carriedo's crew had been set up by Captain Roberts one year ago. They would steal my amulet for the release of their former captain, who had been taken hostage by Roberts."

"Just like in Elizabeta's story," I muttered.

"Yes… Apparently, Roberts had been paid by Duke Edelstein to steal my necklace."

"W-What?"

He sighed, "They want power and a war to gain the status of a kingdom. They need a sailed dragon for that certain power and we are their target."

"That means the attack last year was an attempt to steal it?"

" _Ja_ , and they failed the task. Roberts killed their former captain and they needed to avoid any island. He informed Edelstein of Antonio's crew and not only other pirates but the military of every country, including mine, was considering them enemies."

"So they had no other choice, but to… to stay here," I murmured.

"If I include them and Kirkland in my army, they would inform us of other secrets between the Duke and their allies and fight on our side. I promised Antonio to remove his crew from official list of criminals in exchange for Edelstein's plans."

"What about Elizabeta?"

"She will certainly join us. Her father is taken hostage by Roberts and we could make a plan to free him," he answered with a concerned look.

"You really care about her."

"I-I, er, yes, I do," he admitted with light redden cheeks.

If the three crews would officially join Gilbert's army, than they would not face death by hanging. "How are you going to convince the King of your new alliances and army?"

He contemplated; a scowl adorning his visage while he was looking at the mob of pirates. "The information about Edelstein and the trading treaties between Borussia and other pirates are topics which I will certainly mention to him," he argued. His eyes fell on the silent mermaid who watched her bandaged leg. "In addition to that, I have a magical weapon and a bodyguard that would side with me. I will take care of my father," Gilbert assured me.

"Alright."

I hoped with every fibre of my body that he would succeed. If he would convince his father to let them live, then Natalya would be save too. "I trust you. It is for the best to tell them now," I approved, looking at Natalya. She was talking to a shaking Raivis, who was still afraid of the great amount of pirates.

After Gilbert had disclosed his idea, everyone agreed. There were no other options but this. Elizabeta's approval was uttered with a hopeful tone and a gentle smile. To Kirkland's dismay, he had to join the alliance too, becoming the ally of his rival. "Captain Kirkland, you may address me as an Admiral now," Antonio had said mockingly, enraging the blonde Captain once again.

Gilbert decided not mention the part with the magical power and the mermaid. He wanted to tell her in private.

We were all tired of this long day and prepared once again for a –hopefully– restful night. We all decided to sleep and plan everything the upcoming day. There were many open questions, such as how to get a ship, weapons and a map; but hopefully this would be taking care the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Happy Christmas everybody :3 and I wish you a happy new year or as we say in Luxembourg "e gudden Rutsch an d'néit Joër" :D literally meaning 'a good slip/slide into the next year' :'D I know it's a weird language xD. By the way I wanted to show that Toris is annoyed by the situation he is in, including the fact that he is facing old enemies who once endangered his homeland. He is powerless despite his position of a high ranked Colonel. I wanted to express his desperation in form of a tiny outburst (dark aura~ and such). Sorry for putting all the jealous Iggy moments into the story, but I love jealous Iggy xD and everybody wants to annoy him because they like his reaction (just as I do :'D). And I would say that I am half way through the story :). ]
> 
> Translation:  
> Que linda – how pretty  
> Ruhe! - Quiet  
> Ja – Yes


	23. XXIII

_Sakura_

"I need to convince the King?" I asked.

"Yes, of course I will try to convince him, but I need you to advise me and to explain everything to the King considering your power," Gilbert answered with a straight face. I nodded, understanding his point. Some would say that he would use me as leverage to blackmail the King to free his new made friends, but I understood the situation. "Yes," I bowed. We were having this conversation in the woods, afar from the rest of the people who tried to build a ship or something to transport us. I of course would grant protection, being able to control the streams of the water.

Two days had passed since the Prince had announced his plan to us. Yesterday, he had tried to talk privately to me but was interrupted by several people, questioning the plan and their future safety. Only today, he had been able to approach me.

"If I convince him on going into war with the Edelsteins, I must know how to break the seal of the necklace."

My expression changed; there was a reason why the dragons were sealed away. He saw my hesitation. "Please, I beg of you. I know that the dragons are dangerous, but it could be our strongest weapon," he pleaded.

"For the ritual of breaking the seal, I need some time," I whispered, not risking speaking too loud. One never knew if anyone was near us to eardrop. "I do not know if it is fate, but we are on the ancient island of the water dragon. It is perfect, because I need to channel the old magic which lies in the ground of this land."

I looked around, inspecting the environment. "I need objects from the island; sand, plants, rocks and water from the ocean."

He looked at me with gentle smile, "that could be arranged. Is it all you need?" I shook my head.

"My blood and yours are the most important part of the ritual. You, being the owner of the amulet and me, being your protector need give blood," I informed him and saw his questioning look.

"Wow, that all sounds a bit creepy." His mouth formed itself into a bid grin. "But I never thought that there would be any magic in this world."

I agreed.

"Are all the unsealing rituals of the dragons performed in that way?" he asked curiously.

"One needs the element of the dragons, in your case, water. In addition to that, the old home of the dragon holds the perfect magical stability to break the seal."

He looked at me with a baffled expression, "it seems that someone wanted us to be here."

Standing up, he watched my bandaged leg. "When is it fully healed?"

"It will need one day, this magic here on the land speeds the healing process and I can use magic again. Do not worry, I can walk," I answered him.

"I understand," he said, but I could feel that there was something that lingered on his mind. "What will happen to you, when the dragon is free?"

I smiled, "Nothing. We use our blood to free and control him, so I will still be useful. Due to the long history of the sealed amulet, the dragons know who they have to obey to."

He sighed, relieved to hear that. "Thank God. I honestly thought you would die, which I could not risk." Although I had only spent some days with those people, I knew that they considered me as their ally. Never before had I met anyone outside the ocean that would treat me kindly. "Not to mention what Kirkland would do to me if you would die by my hand," Gilbert muttered quietly, not thinking that I would hear him.

"W-what?"

I could not control my voice from stuttering. Upon hearing Captain Kirkland's name, my face flushed on its own. Normally my talking was in control, just as my expressions. Due the awkward occurrence a few days ago, I tried to avoid the blonde Captain. "I-I do not think that he would do anything to you," I commented quietly, making the prince smirk knowingly. "Elizabeta will stop him to protect you," I added.

Now it was his turn to blush.

"Pha, I would be able to defend myself," he laughed, changing his previous facial expression.

He was denying it; the way he looked at Elizabeta and acted told me that he was worried about her. I felt his uncertainty; since I had met him, I was able to read him and his caring manner was something I admired. His laughter ceased as he reminded himself of something.

"You said that my blood controls the dragon, but what if my father uses that power? We are blood related," the prince concluded with a frown. Even though his theory was not illogical, I shook my head, disagreeing with his idea. "The part of your blood that controls the dragon is from the bloodline of your mother's. You inherited her blood, which makes it possible for you to have the power over the dragon. Your father is not capable of it, only you," I told him, reassuring him. "Your mother was the owner of the amulet before she gave it to you, making you the guardian of the sea."

"Guardian of the sea?"

"With this amulet, you guard the sea, due to your powers over the dragon that in turn guards and the controls the ocean."

"So that's my official name. The creatures of the ocean call me by that title?" He asked, grinning from ear to ear. "Sounds awesome."

After clarifying that, he wanted to return to the rest of the crew. Before he could leave, I told him of my task of searching for the items I would need to perform the unsealing. He agreed, but said that he would send someone to look out for me. At first I thought that he would send Captain Kirkland to watch over me, making my heart race. Thankfully, he ordered two young boys to accompany me.

Raivis and Noah approached me. Whereas the former was blushing and shy, the latter could not stop from uttering his excitement for this little journey. Both were adorable humans. "M-Miss Mermaid," Raivis whispered timidly. I was touched by his behaviour. "Yes?" I asked, kneeling down to him with a gentle smile. "I-I… Are we going to see your magic again?" he inquired, looking at me with big curious eyes. "W-well, I do not know," I answered him, pleasantly surprised by his interests in my magic. "Let's see what I can do," I added, before standing up again. Both of the boys walked side by side with me, their faces graced with a happy smile while asking a lot of questions about me and my kind. I was not annoyed by them, but glad to answer and to show them that mermaids were not as dangerous as we were often displayed.

For some hours we ventured some parts of the woods and the beach, before returning with sand, plants, rocks and water. I had shown them some tiny spells, making things glow of water float. The boys were ecstatic. We put the needed items in little bottles, which the two had brought along.

I suggested returning back to the camp; I wanted to be prepared for tomorrow's ritual. We arrived safely. My eyes focussed on my hands, noticing that the boys had taken my hands.

Noah's brother watched me with a light smile, probably happy to see Noah with a grin. He had told me the story of him and his big brother being excluded from society due to their status as bastards. When it came to such things, I had to admit that humans had weird rules. Society excluded my folk too, so it was only natural that I felt connected with them. After spending some days with these humans changed my view.

Raivis stayed by my side, as Noah ran towards his brother. "Is everything alright?" I asked the shy boy.

"I- I am afraid… of the war," he whispered, strengthening his hold on my hand. It was his scared look and his eyes that almost broke my heart. He was frightened and all alone without anyone to soothe him. It was at that moment that I kneeled down and touched his shoulders, "Don't worry, I will protect you."

His next move was unpredictable for me. He practically jumped on me and hugged my form tightly. I was not used to be embraced in a fond manner and I felt my cheeks grew red as some of the crew observed this scene. It was a new feeling that I never witnessed before. While many hated, killed and feared my kind, these people – especially this child – were accepting me. Raivis let go of me and smiled; a smile which I returned. "T-Thank you," he said, before he joined Noah who was telling his older brother about their short adventure. They had left the bottles – with the needed ingredients for tomorrow's ritual – next to me.

I grabbed the items and searched for the Prince. As I came closer to the centre of the camp, I saw Captain Kirkland pacing up and down. He played nervously with his hat in his hands and talked to himself. The Captain was probably waiting for the Prince, who came shortly afterwards. "Oh, Kirkland," he said.

The blonde pirate stopped abruptly, putting his hat back on his head. "Beilschmidt, where did you send her? I've been looking for her for hours and could not find her." The man sounded a little distressed and my eyes widened reluctantly. Was he looking for me?

"You mean Sakura?" the Prince asked with a smirk. I was not sure if I should approach them or not, but the Prince made it easy for me as he discovered my figure near them. "Sakura insisted on searching for some items for tomorrow's ritual," he clarified and the blonde Captain huffed. "And you let her without any protection? What about her wound?" Kirkland inquired irritated. Gilbert shot me a look and upon seeing the bottles in my hands, he made another comment, "Noah and Raivis were with her and as I can see she succeeded in her task."

Kirkland wore a confused expression before he turned around and saw me standing nearby. His eyes changed from angry to a soft look as he rushed to me. "Are you alright? How is your leg?" While he touched both of my shoulders, he worryingly gazed into my eyes.

"Can't you see she is alright, Kirkland?" Gilbert muttered, laying his hand on his shoulder. He winked at me. "I-I am, indeed," I stuttered, not looking in Captain Kirkland's eyes. He let go of me, noticing that I felt a little uncomfortable. For days he had cared for me and I was still not used to so much attention. Although I was making progress because I grew accustomed to people approaching me. In comparison with other members of the crews, he was the one that made me nervous.

"What was with that ritual?" He pressed, interrupting my thoughts.

The Prince explained everything to him within minutes, leaving the blonde Captain a little flabbergasted. "So you only need to go the shore, channel the magic of the island, the ocean and those objects?" he repeated, pointing to the bottles in my hands. I nodded and he concluded the rest of it, "and you need the Prince's blood and yours?"

"Yes," I said quietly.

"I will come with the two of you." Before Prince Gilbert or I could object, the Captain justified his decision. "What if something happens? While she is performing magic, which is exhausting," he turned to Gilbert, "and you, being part of the magical ritual, cannot protect yourself or her."

It was true what he was saying and I agreed with a short answer, "alright."

Vibrant green eyes were observing me as we stood by the shore.

"It will take some moments."

Gilbert settled next to me, while the Kirkland stood behind me. Within minutes, I succeeded in connecting with the island's magic. Gilbert felt it too; as I chanted the spell. The necklace glowed in the colours of blue and red before the lightning ceased. The magic in the necklace was gone, I could feel it.

"It's unsealed," I said, waiting for a reaction.

"And why is nothing happening?" Gilbert asked, staring dumbfounded at me, before turning around, looking for any evidence of a dragon. "I don't know."

It was then that I felt a strange pain in my arm where the mark of the amulet was engraved. "My a-arm," I hissed. Gilbert felt the same; he cringed and looked at his forearm. He received the same mark as I had. "The magic that held back the dragon ceased," I whispered, "It must have gone into the mark on our arms."

Kirkland, having witnessed everything, held my arm softly. "That means you both now have the control over the dragon."

"Yes… The amulet was only an object to safe the magic that would hold the dragon back and seal him. It will be released when we fight."

"That means I have magical power now? Awesome!" Gilbert shouted while laughing at the open ocean. "Wait for me Edelstein, I will show you," he added.

"Beilschmidt, don't underestimate yourself, you are not used to have such magical powers, controlling the dragon is different from wielding a sword," Kirkland muttered, not letting go of my arm.

"That's why I divided the magic. I have most of the magic and have channelled with the powers of the ocean, while the Prince has the ability to order them and the dragon around."

"Well then that means that I have an army of ocean creatures and a dragon! This is still awesome," Gilbert bragged. "Don't forget us," Kirkland murmured annoyingly, steading me with his arms. I sighed, feeling a little worn out.

Averting my gaze towards the horizon, I watched as a blurry figure of a grand ship neared the island. "What?"

"Is this…the – "

"Marine," Gilbert spoke, "they have arrived."

Our expression changed immediately. "This is not good," Kirkland grumbled, holding my body tighter. Gilbert thought about any solution. "It may be a chance to get to my father.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Sorry for posting today, I was not at home this weekend :'D. And yes it has begun ~ show down ~. I wanted to show that Sakura is getting attached to humans, (Raivis and Noah; I can imagine her as a perfect mother, all caring and protective ~) and sorry for all the Iggyx Sakura moments (although I live for those) the other pairings will get their staging in the next chapters :D ]


	24. XXIV

_Feliks_

“Again.”

I looked up at Natalya’s panting form, a sword in her bandaged hand. “I said, let’s repeat it.” She once again suggested and knowing her for years, that type of exclamation was an order. And who was taking her orders without any complaints? The only man who could never say ‘no’ to her. “B-But Miss Natalya, I am afraid – “

“Stop fussing around Colonel,” she barked, positioning her sword to strike him if he would attack. Some days had gone by after the revelation of Gilbert’s plan and she was preparing for war. Her hands had healed. Thankfully, she could properly use them, even though the wound had left scars. Upon hearing Gilbert’s plan, the girl wanted to practice her fighting, forcing Toris to help her with training. The man did not object her idea, but he was still afraid to hurt her in any kind. It was obvious that he felt extremely responsible for her injuries. During their sparring, his eyes focused on the scars on her hands. He was worried, which unnerved Natalya to no end. But I could still detect some red colour on her cheeks, was it due to the exhausting task of practicing or the presence of the Colonel? I did not know. But having observed the two for almost a week, I could recognise some patterns of affection and not only from the Colonel – whose intentions where clear – but also from Natalya. She could have asked anyone to spar with her, but she had asked – well ordered – him. He was equal to her, in his skills of fighting, something the blonde girl appreciated. She did not say it out loud of course, but her actions told me nevertheless.

Currently, we were on the shore of the island. Everything that had happened recently, made me shudder. All the new information about magic, declaring war on a Duke – whose name I already had forgotten – and forming an alliance with other pirates and the Prince of Borussia. First we had abducted him, attacked his men and then we were taken in his army, fighting for him. “How things change,” I chuckled. I knew that under his order, we could not be classified as pirates anymore. It was his way of protecting us and Elizabeta. From the very beginning, I felt that both where somehow connected. I had seen them dancing in the ballroom. Although Gilbert was not aware of Lizzie’s true identity, the two were harmonising the atmosphere with their presence. Of course there had been some awkward moments and after learning about her being a pirate, Gilbert was shocked and angry (and because he was stuck in the hold). But still, I never doubted their attraction for each other. I sighed, “At times like these, falling in love surely is not a good option.” My eyes wandered to the fighting pair, which somehow had the feeling that this sentence had been uttered for them. Toris was a blushing mess while Natalya looked to the ground before taking the sword, swinging it aggressively around. “C-Come on,” she shouted at the poor flustered man in front of her. “Y-Yes.”

“Like seriously guys? I was not talking about you.”

“Feliks, s-shut up, nobody here is in love,” Natalya hissed, her cheeks getting redder. From exhaustion or embarrassment, I did not dare to question her or else she would attack me with that sword. A light wind blew; making my hair hit my face. Hopefully the air would not be stormy. “I was talking about Lizzie and Gilbert.”

Both stopped abruptly to look at me. I watched Toris and decided to correct a little detail in my announcement. "I mean Your Royal Highness, Prince Gilbert of Borussia. Gosh why is his title so long, I deserve a title too. He is not as fabulous as I am,” I muttered the last part, but it was the truth, he may be a Prince with an amulet who could command dozens of men. But I was the one who still looked fabulous in a footman outfit. “What are you implying?” Natalya asked.

“He really cares for Elizabeta,” Toris spoke, his voice strong, “he told me himself.”

“Well, his royal father would be very happy with him courting a pirate, who, along with her crew is now member of the royal army,” Natalya spat. “They will never accept us.”

Toris rammed his sword into the sand. The small grains flew into the air; the impact of his used power was indicating his outburst. Despite his kind nature, his face darkened. “They will accept you, they have no other choice. As long as I am the Colonel of the army, I will make sure of that,” he affirmed, “The Prince and I have a plan, this has to work out.”

The man left me speechless; his demeanour was always changing if the topic of our security was questioned. We stilled for some minutes, until he grabbed his sword and pulled it out of the sand. “We need to work together and the King has no other options but to accept you,” he gazed at Natalya, “you have my word.”

“But how are you going to convince him? He can’t go to his father like, ‘look here, I have a new army’, even if he will explain that that Edel-duke, whatever his name is, wants to have a war?” I asked him. He looked at me and then at Natalya. Was he nervous to tell us? It was then, that a new idea popped into my mind. “Of course, the mermaid.”

Natalya face blanked, before her eyes glowered. “Yes, of course the mermaid.” I shot her a questioning look. Had I missed something? I was not the only one who was a little startled by her response, seeing that Toris blinked several times at her, before he finally nodded. “They are going to channel the power of the amulet to make use of it. At the moment, they are on the other side of the island, trying to find a way to succeed. If they would, they would have a stronger weapon than any army could have and trying to convince the King with it.”

“Yes, a very convincing weapon, and a very convincing argument to blackmail the King,” I smirked, “Very pirate-like of you and Gilbe– the Prince.”

Natalya snorted, swinging her sword again, “At least one thing you learnt from us.” Maybe there was a chance to escape the gallows after all; the crime of abducting a royal member of the family was still punishable.

I turned around, watching the ocean once again until something small in the corner of my eye caught my attention.

“Look at the horizon,” I exclaimed, “like seriously.” I narrowed my eyes in the hopes of recognising the approaching ship. And recognising I did. “Guys. . . we have a problem.”

“What do you mean?”

Toris came up next to me. “I never saw this ship before.”

Natalya’s face darkened again. “Red sails. . . Roberts,” she hissed.

“What?” Toris face was blank.

I took their hands, “We need to tell the others; we need to stay hidden in the forest. I don’t know why they are here and why they know where they are, but we are not ready yet.”

Toris hand cupped his cheek. “I hope the Prince and Sakura succeed, they are our only chance.”

We ran back, erasing all our traces. Warning the others would be our first priority.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: The Marine and the enemy have arrived… It’s ShowTime darlings ~]


	25. XXV

_Elizabeta_

I was observing my crew as they worked with Captain Kirkland’s men. Even though we were rivals, they somehow managed to work together. Building a ship surely was extremely exhausting and I was hoping for a miracle to happen, so could finally leave this island. Being in charge of these men was a new task; so any persons were now under my order. Gilbert had delegated me and Antonio; to take care of the three crews; I would watch over mine and Kirkland’s group while Antonio would look after his own. At the moment Gilbert, Sakura and Kirkland were trying to channel the magic of the necklace and I hoped they would succeed. Thinking about it made me nervous but before I could reflect any further on that, Toris ran towards me; his face stricken with panic. Even though I had no idea of what had happened, but my stomach felt heavy; a strange feeling formed itself in my gut. Something awful was occurring. “Elizabeta!”

Before I could make any conclusions or analysis of their nervous body languages, Feliks enlightened me instantly. “Lizzie, red sails,” Feliks declared, an alarming glint in his eyes. My body froze and my vision completely blanked as a flashback invaded my mind. My father being shot in the leg before being thrown on the infamous ship with the red sails: The Proteus, the sea-god, or as some would say _Old Man of the Sea_. It was a matching expression, because the ship was old, navigated by Captain Roberts, the one man who had abducted my father, killed off half of my crew, burnt my ship and crushed my hopes; the one who was responsible for my torment the last few days.   
_We will handle this._ The smiling face of Gilbert appeared in my head. _If you and your crew are capable of defeating the royal army, then we will handle those pirates._ His words had given me strength days ago, and now I needed them again to handle this kind of situation. If Toris had seen the ship of Roberts on the Eastern part of the Island, then they would not find Gilbert. We had to spare them some time. I shook out of my thoughts as I tried to focus on Toris, Natalya and Feliks. The look in my eyes almost screamed seriousness; my mouth was set in a grim line. It was time to face the danger.

“Roberts is coming, I will inform Captain Fernández Carriedo right away, while you look for the crews, you inform them as well. We will stay hidden, prepare a surprise attack, but I need a party or one person to go to Kirkland, Gilbert and Sakura. Sent Mathias to them, he counts as more than one person with his strength,” I ordered, seeing in their faces that I was very serious. Natalya was ready to fight; I saw it in her eyes and the way she had drawn her sword. The emergency of this odd occurrence was influencing the atmosphere. Within a few minutes, all the present pirates were informed, including Antonio.

“How? How does he know that we are here?”

“I have no idea. I know that he must have heard of our successful abduction, but to think that he knew were we landed,” I sighed, sitting down on a piece of wood. “We don’t know if his partner, Edelstein is accompanying him at the moment or not. If so then we have a huge problem.”

Antonio leaned his chin on his hand, “well your crew has almost 20 persons, and mine has 40 as well as Kirkland’s. That’s means 100 men.”

It was a lot, but I was uncertain about their numbers. If Edelstein sent an army along with Roberts, then we would stand no chance against them.

“Don’t forget the injured and children. We have two little boys and I don’t care what you say, but I won’t endanger them in a battle.”

The man in front of me sighed. He pushed his body up with his right hand. “Elizabeta, I am afraid but those aren’t boys anymore. They have faced loss, rejection, danger and violence. Whether they choose this life or not, they cannot escape it anymore; even if you try your hardest to avoid them being killed or hurt.”

Growing anger was claiming my heart. I could not blame him, he was right, but I still wanted to protect them. “What do you suggest?”

“We do as you ordered; a surprise attack will increase our chances. And we have to capture their ship.”

 

After my meeting with Antonio, we looked for Feliks. To my dismay we could not find him as we ventured through the woods. Some had already taken action and hid themselves behind the bushes. Antonio stopped several times while I kept my pace.

I suddenly saw four small figures approaching me. “Eliz,” one of them shouted and I knew who it was. Gilbert rushed towards me, his face showing a great amount of worry. “Eliz, I don’t know if these are great news or not, but we just saw the Marine sailing towards this Island.”

“W-What?” I whispered, “No this can’t be.”

His eyes were fix on my face, “I know, b-but maybe this is a good opportunity to talk to my father.”

At that moment, Antonio took a share in the conversation. “Roberts is soon arriving.” I had not noticed him approaching us. “What?” Gilbert asked baffled.

“So, you mean to tell me that the bloody Marine and Roberts are on their way here?” Kirkland inquired while steading Sakura with his arms. Mathias stood next to him and rubbed his neck with his hands. “Oh Lord.”

“Yes, they are, from each side of the island. Have you managed to accomplish your task?”

“Yes, Elizabeta, we did,” Sakura replied, her lightly weak state was proof enough and I was relieved that they had achieved to break the magic in the necklace. “What if we all hide, except for my crew? We then face Roberts and give him the necklace in exchange for my father. You just have to distract the marine,” I suggested, but Kirkland disagree. “They will know that they need Gilbert in order to activate the necklace.”

“ _Verfluchte Scheiße_ ,” Gilbert hissed, punching the tree next to him. The small yellow bundle in his scarf moved; Gilbird protested; His chirping sounded a little annoyed. “Oh Gilbird, you really can’t sleep now,” Gilbert commented impatiently, making the bird glare at him with a narrowed look.

“The only choice we have is to let them fight first,” Sakura spoke quietly, “If the marine fights against Captain Robert’s army, they will outnumber each other and give us a chance to charge. If they create chaos, we could save Elizabeta’s father and take their ship.” I stared at her with an approving look, “That could work. We will stick to the former plan of making a surprise attack, but when they have outnumbered themselves first.”

Kirkland smirked; the Captain seemed to be proud of the mermaid’s suggestion. “It’s our only chance,” he looked at Sakura, “you will not get engaged in that fight. You and Beilschmidt need to stay uninjured.” His grip on her arm tightened; it was not only a warning; it was his way of saying that he did not want her to be hurt. “Okay,” I exclaimed and looked Gilbert with worry. “You heard him. You both are our trump cards in this whole plan.”

“Let us tell the others,” Mathias mentioned, motioning everyone to move on, except for me and Gilbert.

He watched me with a blank look which I did not completely understand. I took his hand softly in mine. “Please stay unharmed.” Upon hearing my softer indication, he nodded. “Don’t worry, Eliz,” he said before embracing me. “I am more concerned about you.”

As his arms encircled my upper body, I let myself relax against his form. Somehow, all between this nervousness of the upcoming chaos, he succeeded to calm me down. Even though my heartrate was faster than usual, I felt comfortable and safe. His scent, which reminded me of flowers, intrigued me.

Unfortunately, his warmness left me earlier than I wished to. “We will succeed,” he whispered, cupping my cheek with his hands. “The plan is being set in motion, now come on,” Antonio shouted from a distance.

Roberts and the Marine… This would be bloody battle.

* * *

 

  **Translation:**

_Verfluchte Scheiße_ – bloody hell

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Do you know how much I cringed at writing the word “trump card” :’D God that presidential candidate just unsettles me greatly :’D. ]


	26. XXVI

_Natalya  
_

After Elizabeta had given the orders, Toris and I had come to the agreement to fight together. He did not want me to take part in the upcoming battle without him. The man was a little protective of me and I did not know how to feel about this. I always had been on my own for so long and could manage every task by myself… but it was still a nice warm feeling to have someone care for you, although I would never say such a thing out loud to him. Our skills with swords were at the same level. My hands could be use again to battle properly.

We waited behind the trees and prepared to attack when the Marine and Roberts’ crew were outnumbered. After both parties have detected each other, a clashing fight had broken out immediately. Men by men fell to the ground, wounded or lifeless, I could not tell, but I did not care as long as we had not been found out. Toris waited right next me, hidden behind the trees, watching the battling mob.

“They must have walked along the shore, otherwise they would have taken the path through the woods and detected us,” he whispered in my ear, “It’s good that they have not yet seen us.” Even though his statement was said in a calm voice, I could not suppress my face from heating up. The distance between us was far too short for my comfort. My uneasy state perked his interest and he laid his hand on my shoulder. “Are you alright, Miss Natalya?”

The use of the term ‘Miss’ was overrated; I was neither a lady nor a respectable – in society’s point of view – woman, only a cold assassin who could kill. But the way he said it was calming me down and making me flustered at the very same time. “Yes,” I stated firmly, a little too harsh, but I kept my voice down nevertheless. I turned my head slowly towards him, looking if he was focussing on the battlefield in front of him.

He was not.

His green eyes gazed into mine with such intensity that I almost forgot my surroundings. These kind-hearted eyes had the magical power to make me feel emotions I had long forgotten: Security, warmness and peace. I froze when his hand cupped my cheek.

“Everything will be all right, I promise,” a gentle smile graced his face. “I am right here.”

To my astonishment, my body refused to shed away from him. To let somebody touch me was making me feel extremely uncomfortable, but this time, it made me feel save. Something between us had changed and it was a complete new experience for me. I did not know what to think of it.

The fights between the Marine and pirates continued and after almost an hour, we were ready to enter the battle.

“Attack!” Captain Fernández Carriedo shouted. So it began.

Toris grabbed me by my hand and dragged me away from the main fights. I had asked him – before we hid – to search for Elizabeta’s father. He had not refused my quest. Now we were running towards Roberts’ ship, knowing that Elizabeta and Kirkland had the same in mind. It was an easy task to approach it. The enemies were no danger and taken down within seconds. The two of us were a well-coordinated team, prepared for each moves and strokes. Whereas I kicked someone away and moved on, he stabbed them before they could follow us. As five of the enemies encircled us, I stood back to back with Toris, preparing to lash. One of them attacked me and I ducked, using my right leg to flip his body over. At that time, Toris had taken two down, wielding his sword without difficulties. The other two took their sword and attempted to hit me, as the Colonel threw me his weapon. My hand caught it while I bent down and slit their legs. I moved behind them quickly and wielded the blades backward; pushing the two swords in the backs of the nasty pirates. Both of the men fell forward; their lifeless eyes facing the grounds.

Toris’ light smile heightened my spirits, “Nice one.”

I nodded, and we both moved forward.

 

Elizabeta had entered the Vessel as we arrived at the scene. Kirkland was distracting the armed men with his flawless moves. However, he was up against ten persons and minute by minute, the Captain was struggling to keep up with their paces.

Toris watched me. “I will take the right side while you take care of the left,” he commented, eyeing me from the side. My eyes met his with an exciting glint. “Alright,” I answered, a little smirk adorning my face.

We succeeded in weakening their group and Kirkland lashed out on the pirate in front of him before he followed Elizabeta. “How many do you think are in there?” I asked Toris, who in response guessed that there would be some, but he wanted to stay outside the vessel to attack anyone who would try to approach or leave the ship; with the exceptions of Elizabeta, her father and Kirkland. The latter one rushed out after a few minutes, “We need to bring them somewhere safe.”

“Have you found him?”

Kirkland nodded with a small smile and it was at that certain moment that I saw a relieved Elizabeta exiting the ship with her father. She looked exhausted, the fights and overwhelming moments of meeting her father were probably straining her nerves. Both walked down the plank, the older male leaned against his daughter. “Thank God, I finally have saved you, father,” Elizabeta pressed her head to his shoulder. The older Captain looked tired, his face adorned with several blue marks. It was no secret that Roberts loved to torture his hostages and upon seeing Elizabeta’s worried face, I knew that she would take revenge; a step I would take too if someone important to me would have been faced anguish assaults. “Make haste,” Kirkland ordered and attempted to rush to the words but was stopped by a tall muscular frame.

“Lass, do you think you can take him and leave,” the man pulled his rusty sword from the sheath, “I bet not.”

He attacked Elizabeta extremely fast.

She pushed her father away from her, dodging the strong hit. It knocked the wind out of her lungs but she took her other hand to support her sword’s blocking. Toris had caught the injured old Captain and looked at me. “Take care of him,” he commanded in a soft tone.

“Captain, we will take care of you,” I firmly said, watching Elizabeta struggle with her power. “And we will safe her.” I made one step but stopped abruptly.

Another one of their stupid crew had ran towards us and stood in front of me, wielding a sword.

“So you must be the famous assassin, Natalya Arlovskaya,” he roared, a devilish smirk reaching his ears. “It will be a pleasure to fight, now put that trash aside and fight me.”

At the mention of addressing my old Captain as trash, I felt anger rising inside my chest. How dare he? “Go and kill him,” the older man next to me whispered with a knowing glint in his eyes. He leaned himself on the ship’s side, trying to regain some strength. I did not need to be told twice; I would kill for my crew, taking orders from my Captain. And the enemy in front of me was a disgusting idiot. My feet pushed me to my enemy, ready to slash him with all my energy. I knocked him out quickly, but could not kill him as my eyes wandered to Elizabeta. Although she was a tough fighter, she seemed extremely distracted. She was eyeing her father and not concentrating on the man in front of her. The big guy pushed her down with only using one hand on his sword while his other arm moved forward, a little knife in his hand. He slit her upper part of her body. She let go of her sword, clutching her stomach before she was knocked out by the hilt of the enemy’s sword. “Elizabeta!” her father screamed, limping towards her fallen form, ignoring the bold man who was hoisting his sword over Elizabeta’s unconscious body. The enemy’s deadly swing of the sword was prevented by Toris’ blocking move. He was now facing the strong pirate with his will to protect his new allies.

“Move by side, boy.”

“Who are you calling a boy, pirate?” Toris hissed, “If you are not caught by the Marine, I will kill you myself.”

“Natalya, we need to move,” Kirkland pressed, carrying unconsciousness Elizabeta, while her father gripped my shoulder for support. Toris was still struggling; he wanted us to flee while he would stop the enemy from following us. My feet stopped and I had an unsettling feeling about Toris’ safety.

“Run!” the brown haired Commander ordered, eyeing me. I knew if I would leave him, he would not make it. Some men of Roberts were moving towards us; even though they seemed far away, I had the feeling that they would quickly help their crew member. My eyes glanced at my older Captain, who understood my thinking. He let go of me once again, and I grabbed a little knife from my pocket.

I would throw it; I had been trained all my life to do it. Toris seemed to notice my presence and steadied his position. With one move, he took a grab on the enemy’s hands on the hilt. The opponent, being completely surprised by this move was too slow to see my sprinting form. One second later, I threw the knife between his eyes. I reached Toris and pulled him back, so we could escape safely. He, without complaining, carried Elizabeta’s father, while I was watching the surroundings. We could not have taken over the ship in such a state; waiting was the best option. And it was still unclear what would happen with the marine and the other pirates.

On our way to find a safe shelter, Toris eyed me with a confusing face. “Why did you help me?”

My eyes met his. How could I not help him? What kind of a question was that? “I could not left you alone, you would have died,” I answered. Upon seeing his gaping expression and red cheeks, I changed my statement. “I-I mean, we are an alliance now, aren’t we?” I spoke hastily, feeling as my face heated up. I averted my eyes from him moving forward.

As we arrived in a secure place in the middle of the woods, we stopped, looking if the both wounded were in critical conditions. “Elizabeta had taken quite a blow and the cut is not as deep as I thought,” Kirkland stated, pushing a fabric handkerchief on her stomach. “But they she will be all right. I will return to look for the others, you will stay here. I analysed the situation, Roberts has a lot of casualties and we are on the winning side.”

He moved through the trees, leaving us behind. “Hopefully,” I muttered and observed as Toris watched Elizabeta. “What is your name Sir?”

Toris lifted his head towards the source of the voice. “Toris,” he spoke calmly.

“My name is Nikolas,” my old Captain whispered, “Thank you for saving my daughter.” He held her head in his lap, brushing her hair with his hands.

“You are welcome,” Toris sighed, his eyes gazing at me and I could not prevent myself from smiling at him. We had saved him. We finally had saved Elizabeta’s father. My former Captain.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: The action has begun ~ Although I think that I really fail at writing fighting scenes :’D. I chose the name Nikolas for Lizzie’s father :). This story will probably have 45 to 50 chapters :)]


	27. XXVII

_Gilbert  
_

“This will not take any longer,” Sakura muttered. Her shoulders were tense, just like mine and we both hated it to watch the battle take place without us. I wanted to help, to protect those who have grown close to me, especially Elizabeta. What if she was hurt? Gilbird was still sleeping in my scarf, the only one that kept me calmn.

“We need to stay calm,” the mermaid commented, her eyes now on me. “They will succeed, they are strong.”

Noah and Raivis agreed with her. Their nodding heads were accompanied by light smiles. It was pretty clear that both liked her. She had asked me if she could watch over the two befor the fights were starting; I did not deny her that request. If it were my little brother, I would have liked to watch over him instead of risking him fight in such cruel battles. “Do you think Roberts has already noticed that it is Elizabeta’s crew?”

“I don’t think so,” I replied, “Their crew has a lot of new members and I think they are more focused on fighting the marine instead of realising if her crew is fighting against them.”

We had settled in the woods near the battle but we had a good view on the happening fights. The only area we had not in view was Robert’s ship. Sakura noticed my hardened grip on the hilt of my sword. “We still have not seen them enter the battle,” I murmured. Eliz told me about their plan to free her father before she would join the main battle. “Almost an hour ago, they –”

“She is all right,” Sakura said, her soft voice calming me a little down, “She is alive.”

I hung my head, sitting down next to Noah, who was seated next to Sakura. “How do you know? Can your magic feel their life energy?” I asked and at that certain moment an idea popped into my head. “If you can, is it possible to make a protection spell on them?”

I did not know if she could do it, but it was worth a try. “I never tried before,” she admitted, but after seeing how the two little boys looked at her, she stood up and analysed the situation. I put my scarf off, giving it to Noah who would take care of Gilbird.

Before Sakura could even start to chant a spell, a rustling behind me startled us. I pulled my sword, ready to strike when the situation was calling for it. The two boys hid behind a bush, while Sakura readied herself to fight. The atmosphere grew tenser as I turned around towards the culprit that had dared to approach us.

“Finally.”

I stared at the man in front of me, his face lined through wickedness. “The Prince and the amulet,” he diverted his eyes to Sakura and saw the marked symbol on her arm, “And it seems that she has some powers too.” He looked at me again and grinned like a maniac. I have never seen this man before, but I knew who it was. Captain Roberts had found me.

“Could it be that she is a mermaid whose family line is supposed to protect you,” he commented before making a sign with his hands, “good that I am not alone.” Three other men came into the scenery. How could it be that every pirate knew about Sakura’s and mine family’s line being connected, except for myself?

My sword was pointing at them, whereas Sakura formed water balls in her hands while the air around her got foggier. Her eye colour had changed; from light brown to magenta. Probably a side effect of using stronger magic. Without losing any more time, I swung my sword, blocking Robert’s attack. “I never thought that this Island would be inhabited by Héderváry’s crew and their abducted royal cargo.”

“You,” I muttered darkly, “you and Edelstein have brought so much pain into the world. My kingdom, Elizabeta and my friends a –”

His laughter echoed through the woods. “So you consider Elizabeta a friend? Well if that does not change some things,” his grin widened again, “and yes, Edelstein is very generous in his payments.”

Those two men were disgusting me, and I pushed him forward with my sword. I quickly glanced at Sakura and saw that she had no real problems defeating the enemy pirates. Roberts seemed a little shocked as she killed his men. The mermaid used the water balls in her hands to isolate their faces. The two men could not breathe and drowned even though their feet were on earthy grounds. “Where is the third one?” I whispered a little distracted in worry for Sakura. I composed myself quickly but it was too late as Roberts knocked me off my feet. Sakura’s eyes lit up and rushed towards me, pushing Roberts away from me. “Behind you,” a voice behind Sakura whispered.

My blood froze as I observed her eyes widening in shock; she had not been prepared for his appearance and due to her running towards me, she had broken the connection to the magic. It needed some time to be used to full potential.

Intervening was out of question when Roberts’ foot pushed my upper body against the ground. That idiot had been recovered fast. “Sakura!” I screamed. Her hand shot up, a natural reflection to block the hit. Seconds were separating her from suffering a fatal hit. Everything happened so fast.

“You bloody bastard!” An all too well known voice sounded.

“Kirkland!” I shouted, as he blocked the enemy’s sword while pushing Sakura softly to the ground. “How dare you attack her with your filthy sword,” he hissed, swinging his weapon in order to kill the man. Roberts’ foot disappeared from my body. Kirkland must have distracted him greatly. “Captain Kirkland,” he hissed darkly but I lost sight of him as he retreated back behind the trees. I sprinted towards Sakura, who was regaining her energy quickly, while Kirkland almost beheaded his enemy. The raging green eyed man was clearly upset; only thinking about what he would have done if the enemy had succeeded in killing her, I did not dare to imagine. “Are you all right?” I asked her and she only stared at me. “The question is if you are all right, Sir?”

I nodded, pulling her up. At that moment, Kirkland had burdened his sword with shedding new blood. The enemy screamed before his voice ceased; just like his breathing. My eyes wandered around, looking for Roberts. “He escaped,” I breathed.

“The children,” Sakura whispered before turning to the bushes to find them unharmed. Raivis dashed towards the mermaid and hugged her with a shaking form. Noah on the other hand was calmer, but approached her nonetheless. He patted Raivis’ back. Kirkland and I looked around us and found no traces of Roberts. “That bloody twat,” Kirkland muttered. I eyed him, “he seemed to be on bad terms with you.”

He smirked triumphantly, “Half of the pirate world is on bad terms with me. So, I am not that popular among criminals.”

I suppressed my laughter with every power, but my grin was still reflecting my reaction towards his statement. “Well is this not the best requirement to be a royal admiral? You are well qualified for that rank if criminals already hate you.”

“You may forget that I am not quite popluar among the marine sailors.”

“It does not matter, when I am ruling the kingdom. What are your plans after this? A lot will change,” I told him, observing our surroundings for any danger. He shrugged but his face was betraying him; the pirate was thinking of the future. “I will give all of you a second chance under my rule. Toris will certainly be promoted, the two little boys will be given education in my castle, Feliks will probably want to redesign our uniforms,” I chuckled, not sure of the last future occurrence but I could imagine him being in that position. “And Sakura has grown close to the two little boys and will stay in my kingdom.”

At the last sentence, Kirkland’s ears perked up and his eyes were staring at me intensively. There was no need for him to speak up; I answered right away. “Her family has been connected with mine since the dragons had been sealed away. Sakura’s purpose in life is to protect me, my family and the necklace. We both share a bond which had only strengthened due to the breaking seal of the amulet.” I did not need to show the mark on my arm, which held the symbol of the former seal. To say that he was glaring at me was an understatement. For the few days I had known the Captain, I was able to conclude that this man – apart from his good traits – was overprotective, jealous and had serious mermaid complex. The latter three traits were always becoming effective, when Sakura was concerned. Kirkland had no time to reply when we hear rustling noises.

“Is he back?” I asked lowly, grabbing the hilt of my sword again. My eyes wandered to Sakura, who had noticed the odd noise too, she stood in front of the two boys, her body positioned in a strong and protective pose. Her sight analysed the environment; her complete stance on wary.

Another rustling startled us, this time near the two boys. Kirkland and I moved to Sakura, encircling Raivis and Noah. For some minutes we stood still, not hearing any odd noises anymore. The only ruckus that could be heard was from the main battlefield. “Seems like they are gone,” Kirkland muttered, his impatience growing minute by minute.

A shot broke the silence. The bullet darted through the woods, targeting us. Fortunately, no one was hit and Sakura inspected the trees again. Loud cheering shouts echoed through the Island. I looked to the main battlefield. The only people that were present were the members of the marine. “They won,” Sakura analysed, walking to the trees.

Neither of us saw the dark figure appearing behind her, only after we heard a light clink of a blade.

“Roberts!” I shouted.

He was back and swung his sword to kill Sakura. In one moment Kirkland pulled her aside to protect her, but he was not fast enough to pull his blade to block the attack. With one move, Roberts stabbed the blonde Captain; ramming his sword in his chest.

Arthur cried out in pain. Sakura’s eyes widened and she froze in her movements, watching from the ground how he fell down. Shock claimed me for seconds, before I reacted. I took my sword, heading to the bastard whose smirk was pure evil. At that moment, the culprit ran; he sprinted through the woods as other voices nearby became louder.

“In the name of the King, I order to halt and to surrender!”

The marine. Sakura sat beside Kirkland, pulling the sword out of his chest. His mouth was framed by blood, his eyes wide and his breathing short. The poor young man looked as if he wanted to say something, but coughed up blood every time he opened his mouth. Roberts had hit him in the upper part of the chest; his shoulder and lungs were pierced.

“T-the Subclavian artery[*],” she breathed nervously, her shaking hands trying to patch him up. “T-the what?” I asked, watching in the direction of where the soldiers’ voices came from. They were coming closer. “I-it is an important artery… He will bleed to death.”

Noah ran towards Sakura and gave her my Scarf – Gilbird was settled in his trouser pocket – to stop the bleeding. “Prince Gilbert!”

Oh no, they were in sight. Sakura eyed me with great concern, before she muttered some unfamiliar words. I diverted my eyes to her and saw how blue light came out of her hands. She was performing magic and it seemed as if it was a spontaneous move from her. Within seconds, a blue coloured patch was closing his wounds. It held the same symbol as our markings from the amulet.

“Prince Gilbert! Step away from the pirates!” The voicing soldier was some metres away from me and I shot Sakura an urgent look. The mermaid understood immediately. “Noah, Raivis, when they come, they will separate us. Please take care of him and yourself,” she whispered commandingly, observing Kirkland, who had by now closed his eyes. Raivis panic-stricken face was describing his fear of the horrifying scenario, especially if they would be captured by the Borussian Marine. His greatest fear, as he had told Toris and me days ago in the hold. “Prince Gilbert!”

I turned around and stood face to face with a visage I did not know. “Private Eduard, at your service, Your Royal Highness. We are here to save you,” he said, pushing his glasses up which were slipping every five seconds from Nose Bridge. It was a nervous fellow I could already tell. With a raised eyebrow, I made sure that I held my promise. The pirates would be safe under my order. “Tell your comrades to stop the fighting, immediately,” I ordered. The thought of Elizabeta being hurt or killed haunted my mind. I turned back around and saw how the other marines pulled Raivis and Noah away from Sakura. “Don’t touch me,” she snarled, kicking one young marine soldier in the stomach. Although she always seemed calm and quiet, she was still upset because of the previous scene.

He looked angry, stood up and watched her with wary eyes. “Look at her arm.”

“The symbol of the amulet,” Eduard said. Everyone darted their eyes to me. “You will take all of us back home, and won’t harm any of the pirates. If you dare to do so, the consequences will be harsh,” I ordered darkly. The atmosphere changed dramatically, the young marine officers gulped but obeyed. Sakura watched the two boys as they protectively held Kirkland’s hands. “You won’t separate them.”

Although they were considered pirates, Raivis, Noah and Arthur received help from the marine. They knew that if they would anger me, I would disapprove greatly of their actions. My orders were taken seriously and we made all made our way back to the shore where the Marine’s ship waited for us to return home. Roberts had escaped with the rest of his crew. That bastard would get his punishment the next time I would see him.

“Ah Sir.” I turned around shortly, seeing that Noah put Gilbird in my hands. “I think you need him more than I do,” he said quietly. After this gesture, my eyes searched for Elizabeta. To my dismay, I could not find her and worry was claiming my mind.

“Your Royal Highness, what do we do with the Prisoners? I know you want them to be treated nicely, but the hate is mutual. They will attack us.”

It was the Captain of the marine; his men stood ready to shot the pirates. My glare was piercing the Captain’s soul. “We take them with us, put them in the cells but provide them with lots of food, medicine and water. I need to talk with my father,” I replied loudly, “If you harm any of them, you will be hanged.”

If we would arrive at the harbour, people would ask questions of why the pirates would be free on deck, so I decided to place them in the cells where lots of sleeping places could be placed. After docking, I would take them to the castle; the inhabitants would think that they would get a process before being imprisoned. But my father should learn the truth.

Toris approached me instantly; a relieved sigh escaped his lips. “No one was killed. I dare say, Sir that it is a miracle.”

Thank God, that meant that Eliz was safe.

The way they were shooting me confusing glares was odd. They never had questioned orders, but now they witnessed someone who protected those pirates. They would know the truth but before then, these men will be punished if they dared to attack the prisoners; People I now consider my friends.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Please don’t hate me x’D]
> 
> [*] The Subclavian artery – Important artery near the collarbones.


	28. XXVIII

_Toris_

“She got what?”

Gilbert watched me furiously; his eyes burning with hate, his knuckles were white due to his grip of the hilt of the sword. He was completely restless, the red of his eyes held such intensity. “It was Roberts’ first mate,” I replied, a shudder running down my back as I observed him. “And if he were the Queen of the world, I would still kill him,” he tried to regain his composure but failed badly at it. “I don’t care who is… _Wir werden so was von in diesen gottverdammten Krieg ziehen_.”

The only word I understood was „Krieg“, which meant war. I never thought I would witness the day the Crown prince would wage a war for a woman – well he did say to fight against the Edelstein-elite and Roberts, but to see his reaction because of Elizabeta’s inury was a whole new experience.

“She is still unconsciousness, but as far as I could examine her, she will be all right,” I told him, trying to calm him down.

We were on our way to the prisoner’s hold. After we had entered the vessel, Gilbert explained the royal crew why he wanted the pirates to be treated fairly. Their faces showed a great amount of confusion and some disagreed with the idea. At first they wanted to threaten Sakura because she had not been taken down to the hold to join the pirates, but she had demonstrably showed her mark again, which now matched the Prince’s. “She is my guardian, and far more capable of carrying out the job as you,” Gilbert had said, shaming the marine. That exclamation had caused half of the sailors to glare at her. Although Gilbert was socially above all the people on the vessel, the marine had some problems cooperating with him. The thought of letting the infamous Kirkland, Fernández Carriedo and Elizabeta’s crew on the ship without punishment was questioned by the look of the sailor’s faces. Whereas Gilbert’s authority was doubted, Sakura received hateful and curious glances. By now, everyone knew that she was a creature of the ocean with the power of using magic and some were fascinated by it. “We are almost there,” Gilbert muttered. The tense grew as we came nearer to the door of the hold.

“What?” Sakura whispered, her eyes focussing on the guard who was blocking our way who refused to let us enter. The mermaid’s face was calm, but her eyes told otherwise. Hours ago, after she and Gilbert had reached the beach, I felt the tension. Her eyes had glanced back and forth between the ship and the injured Captain Kirkland; the worry had been visible in her face. He was being carried by two officers who were not glad about their new task. Raivis and Noah had followed them closely. Gilbert had told me afterwards that the two boys would look after Kirkland, because Sakura knew that we would be separated. Sadly, Natalya and I got split too. I had no idea why the marine had been so fast in defeating Roberts’ crew. They had taken us apart but recognised me immediately, in spite of the lack of my uniform. Natalya had shot them evil glares and she almost fought with the Marine. She hated the royal guards, regardless of their rank or position. I myself had the pleasure of realising that detail as she attacked me a week ago. Despite her nature – which some described as cold or hateful – I liked the way she was. Forthright, elegant and beautiful. And she surely knew how to wield a blade. The way we had fought against the enemies, demonstrated how synchronised and harmonic we were during battle.

My eyes fell on Sakura, who was deep in thought; her one hand was grabbing the forearm where the mark of the amulet was. “You want to see if his wound has worsened,” I stated quietly, while the Prince was busy arguing with the guard. She was startled, not realising that I was talking to her. “Poor Raivis must be frightened,” she murmured, hugging her upper body. “…a-and Captain Kirkland will be fine.”

I always had to smile when she addressed him with ‘Captain’. Everyone except for her just called him ‘Kirkland’, but she always mentioned his rank with light rosy cheeks. She liked him, the way she acted (quietly and still nervously) around him and worried for him. Both of us had a soft spot for lone pirates who behaved unsocially towards others – mostly pulling their blades out when someone confronted them in an awkward moment – and were protective over those who had their affection. “Are you certain that his wound is not as deadly as it seems?”

She nodded, “I created a magical patch on his injury.”

“O-oh.”

“With it, I can watch over his heart-rate and breathing. In addition to that, I can control the magic through it, which is healing him at the moment,” she said, moving her hands to create little blue sparks. “That means you are currently healing him through the magic which you can regulate from your hands?”

She nodded. At least Sakura knew that he was fine; she could heal him completely before we would dock. “I had no time to heal him completely when the marine arrived, so I made the patch in order to stop the bleeding and to cure him over hours.”

“I see,” I spoke, a small smile gracing my face. Before I informed Gilbert of Elizabeta’s light head injury, he told me of the incident where Kirkland got injured. He had saved her from it and got stabbed instead before Roberts could escape.

We both looked up as Gilbert’s voice rose higher. “What do you mean? Let us in this instant.”

I marched towards the scene, observing as Gilbert pointed a sword to the guard.

“I apologise Your Royal Highness, but I received orders from my Captain.”

This statement was fuelling Gilbert’s rage, “Who gave you this none-sense order? I am your Prince.”

The man’s hands started to shake, sweat drops claiming his forehead. Nonetheless he held his position. “I am sorry, but I am under order of the King to not let anyone enter except for the Captain or other high ranked members of the Borussian army or military.”

The flicker in Gilbert’s eyes had almost escaped my notice. “The rank of the Colonel is higher than Captain’s, is it not?”

The guard’s eyes wandered to me. “The Captain of a naval marine ship has the same rank as a Colonel of the army and ground troupes.”

The prince’s smirk almost illuminated the hall. “How fortunate. The Colonel of the Royal Guards,” he slapped my back lightly, “is present. Right, Colonel Toris?”

“Yes,” I confirmed, staring the guard down. He could not refuse my entering, having exclaimed that my rank gave me the advantage to access the hold and its prisoners.

I looked back to the two behind me, seeing their hopeful and pleading eyes. “I will look after them,” I promised firmly before I descended the stairs to the hold. The first obligation I felt to do was to see if Natalya was all right.

* * *

**Translation:**

_Wir werden so was von in diesen gottverdammten Krieg ziehen_ – we are so going to this goddamn war

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Sorry for the rather short Chapter :O. I know I mentioned in Chapter 16 that mermaids can perform some magic, but only related with the element of water; but Sakura can do such healing magic because she has done the ritual of channelling magic from the Island and the Dragon; so she can do more magic, especially more efficient and stronger magic such as healing processes (I thought I should explain it :3.)]


	29. XXIX

_Arthur_

Every limp hurt; the pain felt like thousand stabs, my breathing was weak and my lungs were burning. Unfortunately, my throbbing head prevented me from moving and analysing my surroundings.

Still, the memory of the moment I was stabbed was very clear; I thought I would have died under that condition. My lungs were pierced, I felt extremely weak due the blood loss. So how was it possible that I was still breathing – although with difficulty – and felt every single nerve twitching in my body?

“I hope he will get well soon.”

Someone next to me spoke in a very softly voice. It had to be one of the two boys who were with us before we got surprised by that bloody Captain Roberts and his henchmen.

“Miss Sakura said we must take care of him.”

“W-what . . .”

The voices of the boys ceased as they noticed my attempt to talk.

“What d-did s-she say?” I whispered. It was too hoarse and quietly to be heard, but the two boys let out loud gasps. My eyes still refused to open, but after hearing the two little pirates talking about Sakura, I had to react. Questions over questions filled my head but my throat was not prepared to utter them. What has happened to her? Why did she tell them to take care of me? When she was not here, where was she then?

“H-he is awake.”

I successfully opened my eyes, seeing that Noah had a bottle of water in his hands. He helped me drinking it; I felt too weak to stand up or drinking it on my own. I would never let anyone assist me with such fundamental needs, but under these conditions, I appreciated every hand. “Do you feel all right, Sir?”

“S-Still a little weak,” I murmured, focusing on the surroundings which were extremely unfamiliar, although the crest of the Kingdom of Borussia was visible on the wall. “A cell?”

The three of us were definitely in the hold of the Marine ship. So they had succeeded in catching us. The next thought that haunted my mind was spoken out without me realising it. “W-where is Sakura? I-is she h-hurt?”

Despite the pain which prevented me to do any proper movements without feeling anguish, I tried to steady myself on my arms. It was at that moment when I saw a patch on my wound. The symbol of the amulet; it must have been Sakura’s doing. The boys noticed the way I was staring at the mark. “M-miss Sakura used magic to heal you. H-her spell formed a patch and kept you from . . . ”

Raivis did not dare to speak out what would have happened, had she not saved me; I would be dead if Sakura had not done her spell to heal me.

“She told us to take care of you, while we are staying here.”

The mark lighted up which made me feel better. A weird energy was running through my veins. Was she performing magic through it right now?

So she had to be safe which caused my mouth to create a smile.

“Colonel Toris had come down yesterday evening to see if you and your allies have recovered,” Noah spoke softly, eyeing me with a caring expression. “It seems that Miss Elizabeta has not woken up yet, the blow on her head was graver than we thought.”

The hit had been far more hazardous as it first appeared, I concluded, assuming the same as Noah and Toris.

After Elizabeta’s father was saved, I decided to look for Gilbert and Sakura in the woods, leaving the rest of the group behind. I wanted to have an overview of the battles – and of course to see if the Borussian and mermaid were all right. Knowing Roberts, he would have loitered in the woods like a coward. And I was right; the bastard had stayed in the forest, leaving his lackeys on the field to fight. I was glad to have arrived on time to stop the attack on Sakura. If he had succeeded in killing her; I would have done far worse to him and his crew than hurting them.

My eyes wandered to Elizabeta who lay in the arms of her father. The unconsciousness female looked peacefully; after the past week, she had witnessed enough and it was the first time her face was not adorned with an expression of stress or worry.

“You mentioned the Commander?”

“Yes, yesterday, after the guard refused to let Miss Sakura and Prince Gilbert in the hold, he accessed it due to his rank in the royal military.”

So I had been in this state for more than twenty-four hours… It won’t take a day to arrive at the Borussian port. “So, we will – ”

A booming argument sounded from upstairs; Gilbert’s voice and another one I did not recognised; probably the annoying guard who denied him and Sakura their entry in the hold. My head’s throbbing increased and I flinched at the raising voices. “God forbid, can’t they be quiet for a second,” I murmured to myself. This Beilschmidt’s voice was one of a kind. When he would succeed his father and become King, the neighbouring countries won’t risk declaring a war on him; his boisterous voice was certainly one of his strongest arguments to force them to give in. And I would understand them. I closed my eyes again; feeling too weak to analyse the row between him and the guard.

 

“Natalya.”

It was Toris’ voice and my eyes immediately reopened again, focussing on the new source of sound. The man stood a few metres away from me, kneeling next to Natalya. When had he come down? He seemed to be aware of my thoughts as he turned around and approached me calmly. “I am glad you have gained a little energy,” he confided, his green eyes mustering me –especially the patch on my wound. “Sakura’s powers are really impressive.”

Against my own will, my heartrate increased and caused my face to warm up. “Y-yes,” I whispered,” indeed they are very impressive.”

He smiled at me before his facial features changed dramatically, ”We will arrive tomorrow.”

I knew what that meant. We would be taken down to the Borussian dungeon. But I knew Gilbert would try to free us; Sakura would do anything for the little boys to have them in a safe place. My hand wandered to the patch – while ignoring the pain in my moving arm; I hoped she did care for me too; her actions towards me proved that I had a spot in her heart. I shook my head lightly; there was no time for such thoughts. My eyes focussed again on Toris who had noticed my absent staring on my wound.

“She told me that she has control over the healing process of your wound.”

That’s why I felt this strange, but warm flow in my arm. It was her; her magic. It was a comforting feeling.

 

“Move!”

Gilbert’s voice was booming through the ship again. Was he still arguing?

A loud crash and fast steps could be heard. His voice grew louder as nervous sounded. Had he succeeded in threatening the guard?

I watched as a shadow descended the stairs; during my observation, my heart felt warmer. The patch on my injury glowed stronger and the relaxing feeling of comfort flowed through my body. Although I had not seen the person, I knew who it was. The patch seemed to, not only allow Sakura to watch over me. But I felt her response too; we were bonded. I was capable of sensing her.

Within a few seconds, my eyes caught the sight of the petite woman. She stepped towards me quickly when she found me, looking at my patch before gazing into my face. The two boys next to me stilled and greeted her. I tried to steady myself on my arms, to have a better look at her, but she stopped my movement with her soft hands. “Please stay down,” she whispered, her beautiful brown eyes filled with worry. “It’s still too painful for you to sit up.”

“Sakura,” my voice was faint, but she listened nonetheless. “You saved me.”

Her reply was a smile as she laid her hand on mine, “You saved me twice within a few minutes.” She closed her eyes and her smile ceased. “No one had ever done something of that kind for me. I have been mistreated for such a long time and this was a wonderful gesture from you –”

“I would do it again,” I stopped her abruptly, sounding serious. “I would do it every time danger would face you. It is only natural to defend someone who is in danger.”

Her sad expression changed into an astonished one. Her rosy cheeks and blinking eyes were adorable to witness and I assured her that she should not thank me for something that was taken for granted.

“And if I see anyone looking at you the wrong way or threatening you, I will take matters in my own hands.”

I felt how she took a proper hold on my hand and averted her sight to the floor. Undoubtedly, I was enjoying this moment… Until Gilbert’s voice interrupted it. He had just entered the hold – the guard had probably given in to his demanding voice – and enquired after Elizabeta who was still unconscious. Upon seeing her, his eyes softened and he approached her and Nikolas. The white-haired man murmured several words of encouragement for her to wake up.

Unfortunately, her eyes remained close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: A tiny moment between Iggy and Sakura :D ]


	30. XXX

_Elizabeta_

"Lizzie."

That voice. It was the familiar warm voice that had accompanied me since I was a little girl. The darkness I was looking at shimmered with white stars; this atmosphere gave me hope and let me believe that I was in safety. The arms around my shoulders were warm and protected me from every danger I would face. I felt at ease; I was at home.

"My dear Lizzie," the voice sounded again. It was soothing me and my eyes opened lightly. My heart screamed with joy as my green coloured eyes were reflected in caring brown ones. My father was in front of me; it was not only a dream.

"F-Father," I whispered and hugged him tightly, ignoring my throbbing head. How could I have forgotten that we had succeeded in rescuing him? Even if we were stuck in the hold, I was still glad to have him back. He reciprocated my movement and embraced me back. "I was so worried about you. You always make me worry so much, my dearest Lizzie."

"I am so glad I have you back."

His arms loosened and he distanced himself to look properly at me, "You put yourself in danger for my sake."

Even though people feared him as a Pirate; he was the same as every other daughter's father. He cared deeply for my well-being and thinking about me being in danger – or hunted by the royal Marine, Roberts and other pirates – was not a pleasant thought for his mind.

"Of course, I know you disapprove but you are the only family I got," I spoke and my eyes wandered around to observe the scenery, catching my crew's faces. "And you too, you helped me."

"Don't forget me, Darling," someone with a hoarse voice across the room shouted. Of course, it was Kirkland who just could not left my unfinished speech without him interrupting it by his comment. He was lying on the floor with the two boys who were watching his every move. The bandage around his shoulder lightened up a little. He must have been hurt during the battle. The odd light was distracting me for some seconds before answering him.

"Kirkland, such a person like you will never be forgotten," I sarcastically commented. My smirk widened at seeing his challenging grin.

"I noticed that he was not the only one who helped you."

My eyes focused back on my father whose face held a knowing smile and I could not tell why he had this expression on his face. With a raised brow, I questioned his statement.

"I never thought my daughter would persuade the Royal Prince to help her."

Oh… That was what he meant. "Err, yes, but i-it was because of some information about other pirates and he wanted to–"

I stopped, seeing as his smile widened. "You are babbling. Just like him when he saw me."

There was no need to ask him who he meant.

My cheeks felt extremely warm, "Here? In the hold?"

"Of course, where else? The lad was fighting with the guard to come down here. He made a ruckus only to see if you were alright," my father answered, "He was so worried when he noticed that you were still unconscious. And then he realised who I was and I can tell you, Lizzie, he was gaping for minutes before he spoke any audible words."

Gilbert had been in such a worry?

"Dear child, he told me that we are almost in his country and we will be imprisoned immediately."

I hold my breath before speaking again, "I know, but he will try to convince the King."

"The K-King of Borussia?"

My frown on my face deepened; my father never stuttered. Why was he so unsettled about him? His eyes were wide for seconds before his face expressed uncertainness. Before I could ask him any further, I heard steps. Every head in the hold turned to the source of the noise.

It was more than one person. After some seconds, their faces came into view and my cheeks heated up as I saw who it was.

"Eliz," Gilbert breathed as he rushed to my side, ignoring everyone else in the process. He took my face in his hands, "You are awake."

"Y-yes," I whispered, overwhelmed by his intense look in his eyes. He moved his hands on my shoulder and wanted to embrace me, but stopped as his eyes caught my father's. The prince hesitated in his movement and retreated. "M-Mr Héderváry," Gilbert stumbled over his words while his face flushed a bright red. My father reacted with a smirk and nodded, "Your Highness."

Gilbert was still holding my shoulders as Toris' voice was breaking the awkward silence.

"We are almost at the docks."

He was pulling Natalya to her feet, whispered something in her ear which made her blush. I smiled at that view; she never blushed in the present of a man and apparently she had found someone – apart from our crew – who cared for her. She would never admit it but I knew.

My father stood up, walking back and forth. He was nervous and it was the first time I had seen him this uptight.

"I can sense them," Sakura announced softly, although loud enough for all of us to hear. I had not noticed her entering. How long had she been here? My eyes fell on the man beside her, who tried to stand up eagerly, his face adorned with a frown. Kirkland grimaced and clutched his shoulder. The lightening on his injury increased immediately and Sakura held her hand above his wound. "It reopened again… I thought it had healed," she confirmed worryingly, her face held a worried expression. Although the mermaid hid it well, her eyes were showing her feelings openly. I sat up as I witnessed the scene. Minutes ago, Kirkland seemed alright, now his face was growing pale again.

"It is a miracle I survived this attack," he murmured, "Healing would take its time."

"But magic should have –"

Kirkland hushed her softly, cupping her cheeks with his hand. "Don't worry about me; you have used a lot of your magic to heal me. You need to rest too."

I titled my head, observing the two of them. Never before had Kirkland reacted towards another person in that way – and I have known him for long. How he was looking at her with such warmness. A sight I have never beheld before when he was present.

"Eliz."

My eyes met Gilbert's who stood next me. And it was at that certain moment, after he had muttered my name that I saw the look in his eyes. It was the same Kirkland was giving the mermaid. At the same time, my heart was accelerating; when had I started being so nervous in his presence?

"We will arrive soon. I will take care of everything, " his red eyes scanned my face, "I-I –"

"Your Royal Highness! We are at the port."

Gilbert turned his face towards the door; he could not finish his sentence as footsteps disrupted the silence. Within seconds, men of the royal army entered the vessel and arrested us. As they attempted to take a hold of my hands, Gilbert stopped them. "You won't hurt any of them, especially her."

It were his last words before I was taking away from him. I turned around to catch sight of him, before I would be put into a cell.

I knew he could not follow me; he had to no choice but let us be taken to the prison.

He was going to convince his father; I knew. He was one of the few whom I trusted; one who I came to care for.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I am sorry for the short (and rather crappy :'D) Chapter. OMG 30 Chapters O.O I knew that this story would be long, but I never imagined that I would reach 30 chapters and 50k words :'D. ]


	31. XXXI

_Sakura_

We were separated, as the soldiers entered the ship forcefully. They were ordered not to consider me as a pirate but I could see their disapproving facial expression when they sighted me. If they had discovered me in the presence of the Prince, they would not have questioned me. But unfortunately, they caught sight of me sitting next to Captain Kirkland. The soldiers pulled their weapons, attempting to frighten us. Although I was not to be frightened to quickly, the two little boys next to me were.

“U-uh.”

Raivis took a hold of my hand; his form was shaking and I was aware of his fear of the Borussian Kingdom and its army.

“Step away from the pirates.”

My hold on Raivis’ hand intensified as my eyes glared at the shouting man. “No,” I spoke harshly, “Those two are no pirates.”

The man looked at me with an angry look; he was not used to be opposed by a female. Nevertheless he was prevented to utter his answer as his neighbour eyed him with a warning look. They knew exactly that I was under the prince protection; they were aware of my fate of serving the Royal family in form of a bodyguard. “But Kirkland is a pirate; A notorious Captain,” he corrected himself. Seconds passed and he quickly added a “Miss” behind his statement.

“I –”

A voice behind me interrupted my sentence. “I will accompany you.”

I turned around, seeing Captain Kirkland’s straight face. Before he left with the soldiers, he touched my face lightly with his hand. “Take care of them. I trust you and Beilschmidt.”

“It’s His Royal Highness,” one of the Borussian soldiers intervened, receiving a glare from the blonde Captain.

“May we meet again,” His green eyes gazed into mine before he kissed my forehead and left without looking back. I could feel his senses; the patch was still on his shoulder. He was tense and hesitant to go with them. To part from me and the rest of the crew.

 

It was minutes later when the hold was empty. The pirates had been officially arrested by the Kingdom of Borussia. The Prince, Toris and I needed an audience with the King. It would be the most important and difficult part of our plan to rescue the Pirates and the Kingdom from an Invasion of Roberts and his Allies.

“I-Is that the castle?”

My eyes focussed on Raivis who walked beside me in a slow pace. Never before had he seen a castle and the view was completely new for the boy’s eyes. Toris had given the commands of allowing Raivis and Noah to stay with me. While the former was calming a little down, the latter was troubled. He had been separated from his big brother; the only family he had known.

The Royal army was escorting us through the town. People had been in uproar and looks were shot in our direction. Some were cheering for their Prince’s arrival, others were in worry. They had seen the massive group of pirates the military had taken to prison. One could feel the tension in the atmosphere; the habitants of the Kingdom did not want to be faced with other conflicts. If they knew what would happen if the Kingdom would officially declare war on the neighbouring Duchy.

The gates of the castles opened immediately as we arrived. Some of the guards saluted to Toris who reciprocated their actions. His mouth was set in a tight line and the officers diverted their sight as soon as they recognised his mood. None of us needed to inquire after the cause of his dilemma. We knew what made the man grim. They had taken Natalya into prison and he had no choice but to let them take her to the dungeon. The determination in his eyes spoke enough; there were no words needed to express his feelings. He would do anything to save her.

 

There was no time to appreciate the decorative interior of the castle. Time was pressing and Gilbert suggested talking to his father immediately.

We stood in front of the tall door; the entry to the King’s throne room. I felt Raivis’ grip on my hand tighten. “B-but we c-can’t . . .”

It was such a sad sight to see him trembling. The stress was claiming his body. “He is right. . . And I don’t want him to be in the same room as my father,” Gilbert muttered, a crease adorning his forehead. “He will be furious when I am talking to him. Raivis and Noah don’t need to witness that.”

Toris stared at the Albino, “But who will take care of the t –”

“Gilbert! _Oh mon dieu_ , is it really you?!” The new voice rang through the hall. Two new persons approached us before I could fully turn around. The sound of their nearing steps faded upon seeing us. While Raivis and Noah hid behind me and Toris, Gilbert greeted them with a warm smile. The tall blonde man who had earlier called him embraced him in a rather affected manner. “I was so worried about you.”

Gilbert’s mouth formed a smiled as he clapped the man’s shoulder, “Thank you, but don’t fear. I am all right Francis.”

“I am glad you are not hurt,” another sweet voice spoke. It was a blonde woman who had accompanied Francis. Her facial features were oddly familiar. Green eyes, blonde hair and an extreme gentle smile.

“Thank you, your Ladyship,” Gilbert bowed. It was uncommon to witness him behaving in such a way. Despite his humorous character, the man knew when to show proper manners. The tense situation, in which we were in, must have increased the urge to be serious. He did not want to be considered childish in front of his father.

The Lady’s eyes caught mine as I mustered her. The familiarity was unsettling me. I felt movements behind me and diverted my sight towards the two boys. Raivis was staring at the ground but Noah . . . was watching the strange woman with intensity. His green eyes held shock, confusion and hope.

. . .

Could it be?

She seemed to have noticed mine and the boys eyeing and concentrated on Noah. Her eyes widened for moment before she slowly walked towards him. “Hello,” she said softly. Her knees brushed the floor as she sat down. “What is your name?”

“N-Noah.”

His eyes faced the ground. With coloured cheeks, the boy shifted his body from one foot to the other.

“That’s a beautiful name, for such a cute boy,” she smiled widely, “tell me Noah, how old are you?”

His eyes shot up and watched her again, “T-Twelve.”

My sense told me that both of them were related. It was obvious: They were siblings, although none of them uttered those words, the two knew it.

“Where have you grown up?”

Her question seemed bold but she was curious; curious about her little brother’s life before she knew of his existence. “By the shore in a little house. . . My brother and I live together,” he answered in a whisper.

“A brother? So you had someone to care for you?”

Her smile grew; she seemed to be pleased to know about her new family members. “Where is he now?”

“In prison. He is a pirate,” Gilbert replied quietly.

“Oh. . . ”

Her face was blank before a scowl dominated her once gentle face. “How could he have left his children to tend for themselves,” she muttered darkly to herself. She did not expect anyone to hear her spoken thoughts however, we all had listened carefully.

“Emma?” Francis asked.

“I will take care of the two while you attend the King’s meeting,” the Lady suggested. Even though she was not aware of the topic of the conversation we will have with the King, she wanted to help us. Gilbert agreed with a quick nod. He looked at me before saying that she had a heart with children. I had no objections, my instinct told me to trust her.

“Come.”

She took the children’s hands – who did not deny her request – causing Raivis to quickly look back at me. I gave him a nod, signalling my approval. He should not be worried. The other man followed her, glancing back a few times. They had not questioned who we were; they knew it was an emergency. Both would be informed later of the upcoming war.

“Your Royal Highness?” The guard opened the door. “Her Majesty is awaiting you.”

The room was grand; the lightning increased its glory. Other guards were placed on the sides next to pillars which supported the painted roof. Gilbert’s eyes did not focus on the details of the throne room but on the man who sat on the pompous chair. It was seven days since both had seen each other. Somehow the King’s expression displayed a displeasing mood. His frown deepened upon our arrival.

“Father, I have a request.”

 

* * *

 

**Translation:**

_Oh mon dieu_ – Oh my God

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Belgium and Luxembourg are united :D while others got separated, others found their family :D. And I am sorry for the “The 100” reference xD I love it :D]


	32. XXXII

_Gilbert_

His eyes pierced me, before diverting his attention to Sakura. He recognised Toris – he was the most skilled commander after all – but the presence of a new person next to me was interesting for him. Instead of answering me immediately or inquiring after my health, my father spoke to the mermaid. “And who are you?”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw her stepping closer to him before curtsying. “My name is Sakura Honda, Your Majesty.”

“Father,” I mutter, growing impatient the more he was staring at her with wary eyes.

“I don’t understand the meaning of this,” he replied, “You refused to give permission to the Marine to lay a hand on those pirates who had committed a crime in abducting you and then you demand an audience with me and are accompanied with one of those people.”

Normally, a father would request after one’s health when the son had been away for weeks. But not my father. He was cold and apparently preoccupied with thinking about the pirates, his army had imprisoned minutes ago. Sakura’s facial expression stayed neutral, while Toris’ nervous air affected my mood. I was feeling unsettled despite my pretence of wearing a straight face.

“We have been betrayed.”

My voice was strong, a little too loud for the present people in the throne room. The King’s eyes caught mine again. “The Edelstein family has ordered my abduction in order to wage a war against our Kingdom. They intended to steal the amulet.”

His eyes fell on the amulet around my neck. “But they did not succeed.”

“No. . .”

His hard look softened for a second, “Son, what happened?”

 

 

After minutes of telling him the odious tale of the Eastdorn’s royal family and their treaty with Roberts, my father remained calm. Although no one could read his expressionless face, I knew he was reflecting on all the information we had given him. After explaining the plan, the King confronted us with silence.

“You expect me to work with your pirate friends?” he asked, glaring at me. “It’s against my principles.”

At that, my brows knitted. “Your principles, you say? But working with pirates for economic matters had never bothered you? Father, Double standards have no place in our politics.”

He did not need to question my reply; he was aware of what I meant but changed the subject from my accusation. “You must be jesting in your request, Gilbert. I will not officially claim my alliance with those pirates. They will be hanged for their crimes; they threatened the Kingdom and abducted you for their greedy needs.”

“ _Vater, verdammt nochmal, Edelstein und Roberts sind die Bedrohung, nicht die Piraten, die du exekutieren willst_!” My voice boomed through the hall. Never before had I addressed my father angrily in public. The man’s face frowned and stood from his throne. As he was stepping forward – but with a fuming expression – Sakura moved in front of me. The guards were shocked; they did not think of anyone to stand against the King and walked towards her. It reminded me of the conversation I had with Sakura. She told me that my father could not control the dragon. The mermaid was my bodyguard and would face everyone – even the ruler of Borussia – to protect me; although my father’s statement of hanging the pirates must have angered her. “How dare you stand in the King’s way,” one of the guards shouted, pulling his sword.

“I protect him,” she answered calmly but focussed her eyes on the King.

Before the situation could escalate, I intervened. “I already engaged them in my plans; I don’t need your approval. Sakura, Toris and I have decided to fight, with or without your permission.”

The King’s eyes widened for a moment. He knew I would never utter such exclamations without having proof or a plan.

“How?”

Every present turned around to face my father. His tone had changed; he was curious to hear about my idea.

“We broke the seal,” I said, “Sakura can perform magic and the dragon is under my control . . . We have a weapon and can fight them.” My eyes stared into his in the hopes of convincing him. “You need to trust me; you said I needed to mature and be serious about life. Now I have faced the danger that threatens to destroy my home and my people. I have learnt what I am supposed to do. Father . . . let us fight to protect the ones we love.”

For twenty-two years, I had never opposed my father so strongly than in this moment. I was dead serious and he noticed my stubbornness. It was clear that I would not back down from my attempt in saving the people I care about.

To my wonder, my father returned to his seat. “How do you plan to integrate those pirates in the army?”

I sighed silently; he was thinking about accepting my suggestion. “You could engage them as privateers; and after the war we would pardon their crimes by recruiting and accepting them officially in our forces,” I breathed, hoping my idea would please him in any kind. He motioned for me to step closer to him and I obeyed. The look in his eyes had changed. I approached him closely and saw a small smile on his lips – a sight I have not seen since my mother had passed away.

“I trust you. Although I fear what will await us, but . . . you sounded just like her,” he whispered. “The fire in your eyes . . . The determination in your words. It was as if she had expressed these emotions and would be in the same room. You have more from her than you know. And that frightens me. Gilbert, you would risk anything for those you love . . .”

He never spoke about my mother and the soft look in his eyes showed his vulnerability; his fear of losing someone again who was important to him.

“Don’t worry,” I murmured, laying my hand on his. To hear such things were touching and I felt my heart lighten up at thinking of his words. “I will take care of this. Sakura can create a shield around our bodies to protect us. We have a dragon and pirate crews who accepted to fight for us.”

He sighed deeply, “How will I explain this to our people. . . I will need to officially declare war on them.”

“Father, they are already preparing to attack us.”

His eyes gazed into mine. “Who will be in the command besides you and your mermaid?”

“Laurinaitis, Fernández-Carriedo, Kirkland,” I paused, seeing my father’s face scowl. He knew the two Captains I mentioned. Nonetheless I continued, “And Miss Elizabeta Héderváry.”

My father’s eyes widened in shock and his face paled a little. “H-Héderváry?” he stuttered, something he never did. Did he know her? I could not question his odd reaction when he quickly accepted my decision. Normally, he would have inquired after every detail of the mentioned persons, but after hearing Eliz’s family name, my father told me to make preparations, while he would leave the throne room.

It was extremely strange and something told me that he and Elizabeta’s father shared a past history. “W-we have the King’s approval?” Toris asked, not believing that we succeeded in convincing my father, although they had witnessed his odd behaviour at the end. “We have,” I smiled, “we have saved our friends from facing the gallows.

 

* * *

 

Translation:

_Vater, verdammt nochmal, Edelstein und Roberts sind die Bedrohung, nicht die Piraten, die du exekutieren willst –_ Father, damn it, Edelstein and Roberts are the threat, not the pirates you want to execute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I wrote this quickly this evening, I was a little sick, so I hope the chapter is not too crappy D: ]


	33. XXXIII

_Feliks_

One could hear the rats and the water dripping from the roof. It was cold and wet and I did not feel as if I was in the Borussian Kingdom. It was just as worse as in the hold of a ship. Why did I think that the prison was luxury? Probably because I imagined the Borussian Kingdom to have enough money to add more comfortable elements in the cell? I was watching the rest of the crew as they were trying to stay as positive as possible. We were hoping for the best outcome. My eyes caught Lizzie’s, who was mumbling incoherently.

“What did you say, Lizzie?” I asked, curious of her thoughts. Her head perked up rather startled, as if she had not expect anyone to hear her. “Oh,” she whispered before raising her voice a little, “I said that we are not welcomed here. . . Have you seen the people’s expression when they saw us?”

She never cared about other people’s opinion, so this was strange to hear from her, but I saw the change in her eyes. Lizzie was considering her actions. I know she was never concerned about strangers’ wellbeing; being with Gilbert must have changed her. “What will await us? The kingdom does not care about us,” she continued before staring at the dirty ground.

“You can’t be serious.”

Now all eyes focussed on Natalya who had uttered those words with a frown. “The kingdom does not care?”

“What do you mean?” Lizzie’s eyes were widened.

“First of all, the Prince is going into a war because of you,” Natalya began, but was stopped as Lizzie told her that it was only due to Edelstein’s motives and threat to the kingdom that the Prince was taking those steps. “Elizabeta, he wants to protect you by saying that we are all under his order and not to be touched by any of the guards. And he is trying to stand against his father for you,” the assassin added before a light smirk adorned her face. “He likes you.”

That made Lizzie blush, “W-what?”

The older captain started to chuckle next to his daughter, patting her shoulder. “Tell me more about him,” he spoke with a grin, “The handsome Prince is smitten by my dear Lizzie.”

“N-no, h-he is not smitten by me,” she stuttered, gaining grinning faces from everyone in the cell. Her usual composure was never nervous, but sometimes we had seen her embarrassment. It was a freshening sight after the ordeal over the last weeks.

 

“Y-Your Highness!?”

All of the pirates turned their head towards the source of that voice; seconds ago we had heard steps. I knew who it was – we all knew who it was. The prince’s voice was steady and commanding, “I hope you have taken good care of them?” The soldier must have nodded quietly, because no other word was heard until prince Gilbert stood in front of the irons bars that caged us. His arrogant smirk was on his face as he watched us. “The King accepted my request,” he announced and I sighed heavily. Thank God.

“You are considered Allies now and are receiving rooms near the Castle to rest. You are officially under the command of the Borussian army,” he acknowledged, before his grin widened. While he had spoken, his eyes had never left Lizzie’s. And to think that she was still denying the evidence that he liked her?

“Some of the guards will lead you to your new rooms.”

It was then that my eyes wandered behind the prince. A small hand was holding his and a little child was standing behind him; hiding from our eyes with a light blush. His eyes were red and puffy, probably from crying. This had to be his little brother he cared so much for. Why was he with him here in the prison? I stared at the small boy before a chirp caught my attention. This yellow bird of the prince was settled on the boy’s head. It was an extremely cute view and I could not hold my excitement. “Aw, that is so cute,” I uttered clapping my hands. Sadly, Natalya next to me misunderstood. “What is cute? That the guards are leading us to our rooms?” she asked, baffled but a little annoyed by my weird outburst. I shook my head, pointing to the blonde child behind the prince. Now the kid got the whole attention and hugged one of the albino’s legs.

“Oh, yes,” Gilbert laughed, a proud expression on his face, “that is my awesome little brother Luddy.”

The guard next to him stared at the prince. His eyes spoke more than his face: complete confusion. He was introducing his brother as “little Luddy” instead of “His Royal Highness”. For us pirates, every person in our crew and family was considered as an equal and lovable person. We made no difference in ranking even if on the pirate ship there was a certain hierarchy.

Some of the royal guards were coming down, preparing to accompany us to the rooms.

 

After some minutes, it was only a few of us to leave the cell and Gilbert had waited for us next to the cell; he had been growing extremely quiet and I had the feeling that he had a question for Lizzie but was too nervous to approach her. I wiggled my eyebrows at Lizzie who was confused by my allusion.

“Miss Natalya Arlovskaya, I have received the request from my Colonel Laurinaitis to send for you,” a new guard said after having entered the prison.

“What?”

Natalya’s frown was not as intimidating as usual, because her cheeks were coloured. “Why?” she affirmed her question from before.

“As far as I am aware of his intentions, Colonel Laurinaitis has complimented your abilities in swordsmanship and fighting and wishes to ask you if you want to train a part of the army to prepare for the war.”

Well . . . That was not what I had expected. But I understood why, she was a trained assassin and capable of killing anyone. I prodded her shoulder – in a lovely manner – so her admirer had complimented her, in front of the army. It was pretty clear that this man liked her . . . a lot.

She was silent and I took the chance to answer for her. “She accepts,” I exclaimed, and she was ordered to exit the cell before she could deny the request. Although her glaring was a sign that I would be facing an angry Natalya in the evening; she would snarl at me for this action. Oh well, I was used to her cold manner and knew that it was only concern. She had a twisted and misunderstood character, therefore I was not angry at her way of dealing with these events.

 

“Elizabeta?” the Prince walked towards her, a proud smile on his face before bending down to push his brother towards her. “This is my little brother, Ludwig. Ludwig, this is Eliz, the awesome woman I told you about.”

It was a cute scene to see the three together, especially as Lizzie greeted him with a warm smile.

I looked at her father, who was smiling gently. Upon seeing me watching him, he cleared his throat and looking away.

 

We were on our way to our new chambers. I was walking next to my old Captain. Lizzie had been asked by the prince to show her the castle with his little brother. If anyone had told me that this would happen after two weeks of abducting said prince, I would have laughed very hard. It was clear that the two felt comfortable in each other’s presence. While a smile was gracing my face, I looked at my side, seeing Captain Héderváry lost in his thoughts. “Captain?” I asked, concerned by his strange expression.

“Y-Yes?”

This was extremely strange, to hear him stuttering. Something was clearly wrong, but I was not Feliks if I would not ask him about his troubled mind. “What happened?”

His eyes were clouded by negative thoughts; the question was why? We were in safety and the risk of being killed by the Kingdom was not of our concern anymore. He must have seen my determinate look on my face; because he did not deny that something was worrying him.

He sighed. “You know, I met her here. . .”

I was confused. Who was he talking about? I needed some seconds to realise who _her_ was until I saw a sad smile on his face. “You . . . You mean Lizzie’s mother?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

I never knew she was a Borussian citizen because Lizzie never told me about it … unless she did not know either. “Does Lizzie know about this?” I asked and got a shaking head as a reply. “B-but?”

“I always wanted to tell her, but I waited for the perfect occasion to speak about it.”

“There is never a perfect occasion to tell someone of their mother’s homeland,” I said softly, noticing that the man was fighting with his emotions.

“It has been such a long time since I have seen this city. I could never come back after she had died,” the Captain explained, “Her grandparents still live here; they have always worked for the royal family.”

“W-what?”

He eyed me for seconds before nodding. “It’s true. Liz’s Grandmother took care of the Queen when she was presented at court an engaged with the King. She also helped with the first son’s birth, Prince Gilbert.”

The shock was still claiming my body; how could this be? Was destiny playing a joke on us? Lizzie, who had abducted the prince, was the granddaughter of a servant who had helped with Prince Gilbert’s birth?

“As if fate wanted them to be together,” I muttered, too quiet to be heard before telling him that he needed to tell his daughter this story.

“It is her right to know,” I affirmed, “It is your job as a father and Captain.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Yes, a little background information of Lizzie’s family :3 and Ludwig has his older brother back :DDD. I just noticed a sentence in this chapters sounds a little like Mrs Bennet (from Pride and Prejudice) xD oh well whatever xD]


	34. XXXIV

_Toris_

Before I was called to attend another audience of the King, I was waiting for Miss Natalya, who was to be taken to the barracks where I would request for her acceptance in training the soldiers with me. Since the prince had succeeded in convincing the King of accepting Elizabeta and her crew to be our allies for the war, I had thought about her skills and advantages for the Borussian army. And she has the potential to be one of the strongest in the kingdom. In addition to that, she would be capable of training some of our soldiers for preparing them for the war – although I was certain that it would not be a long war if Gilbert would call the dragon to participate on the battlefield. Miss Natalya was extremely surprised when she approached me. Her typical facial expression was just as present as always, but I was certain that she was touched to have the opportunity to join me in our forces. She was a loner but protected the ones she loved the most with her heart.

When I showed her the barracks and explained her the Borussian militia system, plans and organisation. “The soldiers will be glad to train another such a talented fighter,” I told her which caused her to blush cutely.

“I don’t think so,” she had answered with a straight face. All she ever wanted was acknowledgement, even if her façade had not shown it. The assassin had not realised that I acknowledged her more than any other of the pirates. “I honour you,” I softly spoke before I had taken her hand – which she let me touch – before continuing. “I admire you.”

She was silent, but her widened eyes spoke more than thousand words.  “Miss Natalya, I cannot tell you how happy I am to hold your hand and not watch you die on the gallows. I don’t know what I would have done if you were to be killed by any Borussian soldier’s hand,” I admitted, “I am glad that I have met you, even if our first meeting was not how I was dreaming of meeting such a wonderful person.”

I directed her hand towards my face and kissed it lightly.

“T-Thank you,” she stuttered and tried to sound as cold-hearted as possible. But her face was flustered and her eyes down-casted. She was eyeing the ground after exclaiming her thanks. I did not further press on it; she was a silent woman who needed time. But my smile widened after her hand did not release mine. It was still holding my warm hands we continued our walk through the army grounds.

After that – in my eyes short – meeting, I was ordered to the King.

I was standing in front of the throne room with Kirkland, Fernández Carriedo and Elizabeta. One day after the talk with the King, those three had been ordered to an audience. I was the one that would accompany them; making sure that they were behaving appropriately. After they had been lead to their new chambers, servants had taken care of their new clothing and appearance. The King wanted them to look serious if they were to be officially pardoned and accepted to the Borussian army. The announcing also included our new function in the army. Afterwards, the king will approach the people of the Kingdom with a speech. They should be aware of the coming war and should not fear the new allies of the realm.

 

 “The King wants to see you.”

 “Indeed,” I answered before I motioned to the three others behind me, to enter the room. Elizabeta was silent, but Kirkland’s face was red. Not because of nervousness to face the King, but because of Antonio, who had been provoking on the blonde pirate for minutes. Since we had waited in front of the giant doors, Kirkland looked as if he wanted to punch the man in front of him.

“I am not going to be your cabin boy, mind you,” Kirkland hissed while walking towards the doors.

“We will see,” Antonio whispered with a smile, “sailor.”

Elizabeta was walking between them to avoid any other confrontation.

“Your Majesty,” I exclaimed, before kneeling down. The other three mimicked my moves.

“Arise, Colonel.”

My eyes met his for seconds before he focussed on Elizabeta. I had suspected him to know her father because of his obvious shock when Gilbert had mentioned the name Héderváry. And now the King of Borussia was observing her intensely and a glint of recognition could be seen in his eyes.

“Miss Héderváry, I assume,” he then spoke and Elizabeta jerked her head up.

“Y-yes, Elizabeta Héderváry. At your service, Your Majesty,” she announced respectfully and received a small smile from the King before he addressed me again.

“I came to the decision to promote you to lead all of the ground forces in the war.”

I was speechless . . . did he say ‘lead’?

“Colonel Laurinaitis, from today on, you will be a general,” he mentioned, causing my breath to be stuck in my throat.

“A-a General?”

“Indeed, you are the most competent member of my army, and you alone succeeded in following the Prince and protecting him. You were taken hostage because of your loyalty towards the Kingdom and should be rewarded with a new rank.”

My expression did not change as I accepted his decision with a small “Thank you, Your Majesty”. Despite of the mention of the abducting, he did not glare at Elizabeta.

“Miss Héderváry, Mr Fernández Carriedo and Mr Kirkland, you will receive your own battleships and work with the marine and lead your crew. Your experience on sea and with the enemies is important for us to win,” the King approved, “And I know that Edelstein will fight on Borussian ground and use the open sea for his allies.”

All of them blinked and I had to admit that it sounded strange to address those three without “Captain” or “Pirate”.

“Your criminal activities will be pardoned and you will be promoted if the war is won,” the Royal head of the kingdom warned, glaring at the two men in front of him. “All of you will have the function of an admiral if you succeed. . . Do not dare to disappoint me.”

Kirkland’s smirk could be seen as he turned his head towards his rival. He wore a challenging look but focussed immediately on the King as he mentioned the remaining persons who would have the most important role in the upcoming war.

“The prince and his mermaid are in command and give you the needed orders. They are responsible for the protection, magic and the dragon due to the mermaid’s capability of using powers,” he explained and noticed that Kirkland gave him an extremely weird look, when he said _the Prince and his Mermaid._ “You will follow every of their orders and organise your plans. The four of you are commanding your given army afterwards. . . Understood?”

We nodded and uttered an “Understood, Your Majesty”, before he dismissed us. The King shortly explained that he needed to inform the public of the plans as we walked out of the room. He told us that within the next two weeks, we should be prepared for war.

 

“Admiral, he said,” Kirkland smirked, turning towards Antonio who mirrored his expression. “Indeed, Admiral, and we have to take every commands from the Prince and _your_ precious mermaid,” Antonio then expressed provokingly, “I wonder what _kind_ of orders she wants me to follow.”

Elizabeta rolled her eyes after hearing that clear allusion. Kirkland on the other hand pulled his sword. “Fight me, you bloody idiot,” he hissed, his face as red as a rose. “I do not allow such awful words when Miss Sakura is concerned.”

The guards around us wore fearful expressions and were uncertain about this scene. Were they to intervene or not? They knew about their former pirate’s history and did not expect any civil behaviour. “Oh, so you are not already addressing her as Mrs Kirkland.”

Antonio’s smile turned into laughter as his opponent’s – or one could say colleague, due to their new ranks – face worsened. I turned around with a shaking head and caught the figures of Sakura, Feliks, Miss Natalya and the Prince who were approaching and seeing us. They were within earshot and witnessed the ridiculous scene.

“Boys, please stop . . . we have an important role in the Kingdom now,” Elizabeta intervene with a sigh, having noticed the approaching party.

“Oh yes, important role,” Antonio smiled again, “you have the most important one, Princess Elizabeta of Borussia.”

The brunette froze immediately after being called by that title. She was aware that every present in the hall must have heard his statement. After her frozen state was broken, she drew her cutlass “I-I  . . . I will kill you.”

Now it was my turn to sigh and eyed the walking group again. Feliks was chuckling while Natalya shook her head. Sakura and Gilbert on the other hand were flustered and watched the odd assembly of former pirates battling. They hadclearly heard Antonio’s words and seen Kirkland’s and Elizabeta’s reactions.

“I hope we can win a war with this bunch,” Feliks muttered with a smirk. And I could only agree with his statement. All of us were now considered part of the Kingdom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Liet and Belarus have a little moment :D she is warming up to him :3. Spain is a gentle and caring character, but I think in his pirate days, he was a provoking badass xD, so in this story, Pirate Spain is sassy and I love it :D. Someone needs to tease Iggy, because angry Iggy gives me life >:D ]


	35. XXXV

_Arthur_

It has been over a week since we had been told to prepare for war.

“Marvellous,” I smirked observing my new uniform that graced my form. My hand softly touched the collar of the outfit before it moved to my shoulder. It was completely healed and I wondered why Sakura had not approached me to remove it. Was she still uncertain about the risk of the wound or did she forget? . . . No, she could not have forgotten; the patch was bonding us; pain, joy, nervousness. At first it was an odd feeling to sense not only my emotion but now I could not deny that I was content to have the patch on my body: to feel closer to her. Nonetheless, I came to the decision to inquire after her. A small glimmer of hope sparkled within me; perhaps she did not want to separate the bond with me and that thought accelerated my pulse.

Of course during the last interaction with Antonio – in front of the King’s door – I had been injured by the twat and caused the mermaid to heal my wound again. It was a small scratch from his sword but her eyes were filled with worry. There had been no need for another of her magical patches.

I opened the door and stepped outside with the urge to knock on Sakura’s room.

“Admiral Kirkland.”

As if she had read my thoughts – although I am certain that she noticed the change of my pulse due to our bounding – the petite women stood in front of me and my room. And I was left speechless for half a minute. Sakura was dressed in a beautiful dress, her hair styled in a chignon with a red flower. To say that she looked pretty was an understatement. She was stunning. I was glad she did not wear Natalya’s clothes which she had received after she was found by Feliks. And thinking about that incident made my blood boil; she was on their ship, injured after she had been tortured by pirates who had endangered the prince. I was raging and if I was capable of confronting these culprits – and I would do anything to find them – I would be the last person they would see in their life. Their actions had not only caused her to be unable to walk for days. She was left with a scar.

“S-Sir?”

And again, it was her soft voice that gained my attention. My eyes caught hers and I could not stop my voice from stuttering. “Y-you look stunning.”

She stared at me; her face’s colour mirrored mine. “T-Thank you,” she whispered. It left me smiling. As seconds passed, the intensity in her eyes did not cease.

“Admiral Kirkland?” The black-haired asked again. “I wanted to see if your wound from last week has fully healed.”

I frowned as she addressed me again with my title and ranking. Before I was promoted to be an Admiral, she had called me Captain – which I normally did not mind at all but hearing it from her did vex me. We were bonded and those addresses were dissociating our acquaintance – which has developed into friendship and I could not deny that I wished for more.

“Please, use my given name,” I told her softly, my face holding a gentle expression. She gaped, before the red colour adorned her adorable cheeks again.

“Oh, please forgive me.”

It was almost a whisper but I heard her nonetheless.

“And for your request, the wound has healed completely,” I informed her, “although I have one question, considering the patch.”

The petite mermaid nodded, motioning me to proceed. “I have no injury that could cause me to bleed or kill me. . . All my wounds have been taking care of by your magic,” I mentioned, bracing myself for my question. I hoped to see the reaction which I longed to see. “So why is the patch still on my shoulder? It has been over a week.”

My heart leapt, seeing that her eyes widened and her breath was stuck in her throat. She had not been prepared for my question and it had left her startled.

“I-I,” she stuttered, “need to observe your vital functions a-and wounds.”

The ground seemed to be more interesting than me as her eyes diverted towards the ground. “If you are hurt in a battle, I could help you instantly,” she added, closing her eyes. “I would be worried.”

Sakura murmured the last sentence in a voice that I could barely hear. But I had listened all of her utterings and the part of her worries was not left unheard by my ears.

To hear that someone you care about is worried about your well-being. . . It is a wonderful feeling. Since the first moment I had seen her, I knew that she was a unique creature; not only her kind but her character, her caring, her loyalty and determination of protecting – and not only for the prince. At first I was uncertain if such a marvellous creature would even care for me. She had denied me her name and tried to avoid me, which left me desperate – although I did not clearly show it. She resembled my stepmother; They had some features in common but not all. I had always been protective over mermaids or sea creatures; yet, she was the one I did not wish to carry back in the ocean. I did not want for her to return and the prince had explained that she had a position in his castle. She was needed and her task of saving him was part of her destiny. Whether it was the ocean or any bloody castle . . . I did not want to let her go.

Regardless of her distant formalities towards me, I was now certain that she cared enough for me to inquire after my health even though she was aware of my healed injuries. I had seen her in embarrassing positions – on the island where she was relieving herself and needed my assistance – and I still felt the need to be closer to her than before. For some days I knew that it was not only protection I wanted to provide her. I was craving for her affections, just the way I felt for her. In spite of her role of the prince’s bodyguard: I wanted to be with her, no matter where; I would engage myself in the Borussian military forces only to be able to see her adorable smile and beautiful eyes. And I was quite shocked to realise that my dedication for her was so strong . . . I had fallen in love with her.

Without thinking of her words – she was speaking at the moment but I had forgotten everything around me – I stepped forward and enclosed her in my arms. I embraced her lovingly, something I had wished to do for several days.

“You do not need to worry about me,” I affirmed softly, “I am always worried about you.” My arms around her formed tightened. Her head lay softly against my chest. A feeling I will always remember.

“Please pardon my impulsive action but . . .,” I breathe and quickly kissed her head. I needed to tell her . . . before I would find myself on the battlefield. “I-I – ”

“Kirkland! Prince Gilbert wishes to talk to you!” A militia officer shouted. I knew he did not like me and that was the cause for his absurd disruption. If Sakura had not been present, I could not have held my temper from rising. I was fuming but something inside of my heart told me to calm down. My eyes focussed back on the mermaid in my arms and her shiny irises stared into my soul. It was her doing . . . she was calming me. However, as I eyed the obnoxious officer, my glare intensified and I muttered an “Understood” before stepping down the stairs.

“W-wait . . .,” Sakura called softly, approaching me with a shy smile, “I want to accompany you . . . Arthur.”

I stopped abruptly. She had used my name with such a sweet voice . . . It would make me the happiest man alive to wake up next to her for the rest of my life . . . My focus was on her, observing her radiant – but flustered – face. “Sakura . . .”

“I will need to tell them that the patch functions as a communication tool. We are able to talk during the war,” the smiling mermaid said, “I observe your heart rate and pulse and am able to heal you, if you get hurt in the process.”

“How can one communicate with it?”

“If you focus on the patch and the person you would like to speak,” she replied.

A small smile formed itself on my mouth, realising that I had just done that minutes ago and she had standing in front of my door when I had wished to talk to her while focussing on my patch. “Indeed.”

We remained silent during our walk towards the prince’s office. While we exchanged some glances, I could feel my racing pulse as she took my hand; her soft hand that had once saved me from meeting death.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I am tired and it’s pretty late, so I think there are some grammatical mistakes (although I have noticed that a lot of the older chapters have grammatical mistakes :’D) but yeah :’D. Either way, have some Asasaku (or Asakiku) :D I really love this pairing *screams in the background: OTP! OTP!*, so yeah :D. While Iggy needs someone to calm him down, Sakura needs someone to admire her openly (and obviously) because she had only received negative reaction from humans. And Iggy has a mermaid complex xD (yes! My justification for using this pairing in this story ~)]


	36. XXXVI

_Sakura_

It was such a wonderful feeling to hold his hand. Although it was only for a few minutes, warmness was spreading through my body. I could feel how much he cared about me since we had met. At first I was a little suspicious of the blonde Captain but now I knew that his intentions were truthful. Due to the patch, I could remark every emotion and change of his pulse. This process not only helped me to observe his vital functions but showed me his true nature. After having met so many pirates, I had become wary in presence of the sea pioneers. My distrust towards them increased after I had been caught and tortured. But he … Arthur Kirkland had been nothing but kind to me. His joy was growing every time he saw me while his fear took over his nerves whenever I was not near him or he was not informed about my whereabouts. To my astonishment, my heart and body began to react in the exact same ways. The blonde man was on my mind; all day, every day.

“Are you all right?”

My eyes wandered to him after hearing his soft voice. The green of his eyes intrigued me so much that I got lost in them. “Yes,” I replied in a whisper before focussing on our intervened hands again... Such a warm and lovely feeling.

“We arrived.”

The guards led into the room where the prince, Elizabeta, Antonio, Toris and Natalya waited. It seems that they were discussing the strategy of military attacks on ground and ocean.

“Oh, you finally came,” the prince spoke with in a surprised tone, before his eyes fell on my and Arthur’s hands. His mouth created a small smirk before he waited for us to sit down on the table where maps were rolled out. Several crosses and circles were drawn on the big papers.

“We have almost finished plans. I already explained the others how we will operate,” Gilbert informed us before addressing Arthur, “You, Eliz and Antonio will mobilise your crews and the marine in the port. But you must always be aware of the dragon which I and Sakura will probably summon during the fight.”

He nodded, although he did not seem amused by the part of working with Antonio together to secure the port.

“And how will we notice the dragon, when it will show up?” Elizabeta asked and I was immediately reminded of my idea of communicating during the battle.

“The patches I create function as communication tools,” I mentioned, “You only need to think of the persons you want to speak to and concentrate on the patch.”

“That’s great,” Toris replied with a gentle smile while the Prince only told him that he was already aware of it. “She can heal us during the fights if we are injured,” Gilbert added and signalled me to put the patches on each one of them. While doing so, he continued his explanation.

It took me some minutes to fulfil my task. The one who was left was Antonio, who awaited my magical performance with a smirk. His eyes glanced at Arthur and the joying glint in his orbs was obviously a sign of mocking.

“Saku– I mean Miss Sakura,” he whispered in a husky tone, “To what extent are we connected?”

I retreated a little from him. His mouth was far too close to my ear and I felt uncomfortable. “We are able to communicate through telepathy. I observe your pulse, breathing and other vital functions and have control over the healing process of your body if you are injured in the war,” I answered fast. My body was reacting angrily after he had uttered the words. “And don’t step too close to me.”

My voice sounded a little harsh and I looked at the cause for my growing chagrin. Strangely enough, it were not my feelings but Arthur’s. By now he had placed himself behind me.

“Stop your bloody attempt of flirting with her,” he hissed and his pulse was racing.

The dark-haired ex-pirate only smiled towards his rival. “Interesting,” he mentioned, “so that’s the way it works. You can also feel other people’s emotions.”

I nodded slowly, comprehending that his insolent approach had been an experiment. “Do only his emotions influence yours so strongly? Then it can be very difficult to handle during the fights.”

“W-Well, that’s why a mermaid does not use her magic on humans. After so many wars with humanity, we had come to the decision distrust them,” I replied steadily, refusing to admit his first assumption – which in my case, was true. “You are the only exceptions because I consider you and the soldiers of the prince my allies.”

Seconds after my answer, the patch was placed on his arm. “Still, this kind of magic is something I have never seen before.”

“Have you ever seen a mermaid’s power before?”

He nodded, “from afar.”

As the item was gracing his arm, he directed his sight on Arthur. He tried to communicate with him which was noticeable on the blonde man’s face. I did not know what he said because he only focussed on Arthur, whose red face was still showing his embarrassment.

“I only teased him that we are bounded from now on,” Antonio whispered to me, “I really like to tease him.”

Indeed, the two seemed to have a rivalry since they had become pirates. Now after they were addressed as admirals, their ‘relationship’ had not changed.

A quick knock on the room’s door sounded and a servant entered immediately. “Your Highness, Lady Emma Van Haegen wished to have an audience with you.”

The prince had a confused look on his face before questioning the servant, why she wanted to talk to him.

“She has a question, concerning one member of Admiral Héderváry’s crew.”

The baffled expression on his pale face increased, not comprehending why she would approach one of Elizabeta’s crew members. I on the other hand had the suspicion that she wanted to meet the brother, she had never seen before. A member of her family.

“Fine, call her in,” Gilbert spoke, curious about her request.

The blonde woman entered and stopped in front of him with a curtesy. “Your Highness,” she acknowledged before her eyes wandered around the room. Although Elizabeta, Natalya and Feliks had abducted her, her face did not show any sign of revenge or hate. The only faces, she had not seen before, were those of the new male admiral. I felt Antonio’s body freezing next to me. He corrected his posture – stretching himself to be taller and putting his hands behind his back. Gilbert noticed the odd circumstance and decided to introduce the former pirate captains to her; and she did not have any objections. “Lady Emma Van Haegen, the new members of the Borussian Army: Admiral Antonio Fernández Carriedo and Admiral Arthur Kirkland.”

She looked at little startled after hearing the names – the two were infamous and known for their former occupation – but regained her composure seconds later. She was informed – just like the rest of the Kingdom – about the new recruits, allies and the upcoming war. But standing in front of the mentioned men must be a different feeling.

“Delighted to make your acquaintance,” she commented. While Arthur repeated her words in a less exciting voice, Antonio almost lightened the room with his charming smile. “Indeed, very much obliged, my Lady,” he charmingly affirmed, kissing the knuckles of her hand. Hearing such formal words from his mouth was almost shocking but it was clear that he had changed his behaviour in the presence of her. A light blush and smile graced the Lady’s face before she turned towards the prince.

My eyes caught Arthur’s smirk. He was staring at the dark-haired admiral and I could almost read his mind: He had a new topic and reason to tease Antonio back.

Suddenly, the same servant from before burst through the door; his face was red, his breaths short. “Your Highness, our scouts have spotted Edelstein’s army near the borders. They are advancing,” he shouted, “And his allies have been seen near the port in the ocean.”

I stayed calm, but the tenseness in the room could not be ignored. Especially Arthur’s feelings were infecting mine. He was angry, nervous and excited to fight the pirates. One in particularly: Captain Roberts.

“Thank you for the information. We need to get in position,” the prince commanded. “Each of you will inform the soldiers who are under your orders. Include them in the plans, work with them, care for them and fight with them.”

“Understood!” We answered before leaving the room. The blonde Lady stayed in the castle and fulfilled her promise by staying with Noah and Raivis. We split up; Toris and Natalya took another road – to their respective army – while the rest of us headed towards the harbour. Gilbert and I would remain close to the ocean at the port. He trusted Toris enough to defeat the enemy army on the ground. As fast as possible, we arrived at the port. The members of the marine and some of the pirate crews were preparing the ships for war. Although I was supposed to stay with the prince, I wanted to give him time as he walked in front of me with Elizabeta; I knew that both were harbouring feelings for each other and did not want to interfere during their last moment before entering the battle. I remained close by but held a certain distance as they stopped.

 

A familiar presence was behind me. I felt his nervousness but waited until he addressed me.

“Sakura,” he whispered softly, causing my body to turn around on its own. He had so much control over me and was clearly unaware of it. The proximity of his face was shortening my breath. The hat of his new uniform was shaking in his hands, due to his edginess. Only for seconds did his eyes caught mine before his sight fixed on his feet. He opened his mouth but words seemed to fail him before his face grew serious. “Please be careful. I don’t want you to put your life in danger,” he admitted, “I have seen your abilities but I am worried that you overuse your powers.”

The concern in his eyes was visible and I replied him truthfully. “I will if you promise me that you will do the same. Please don’t endanger yourself,” I whispered the last part, remarking how his mood changed. A small sigh escaped his lips before his former serious look was replaced with a loving one. It was the same facial expression he wore hours ago as he had left his chamber and found me in front of his doors. My heartrate was increasing by seeing him looking at me with those intense emerald irises.

Arthur stepped forward an embraced me lovingly, holding my form tightly in his arms. “I promise,” he murmured and I reciprocated his movements. “Don’t forget, we are connected,” I reminded him before he asked a question which had plagued his mind for hours. “I-Is is true?” He inquired. “What Antonio said? That my emotions influence you strongly.”

It was just as strange for me as it was for him, to experience something like that. I had used my magic on some people, innocent who had been hurt; but never before had their emotions influenced mine. Arthur had been aware of my stuttering and refusal to directly answer Antonio’s question.

“Y-Yes,” I admitted quietly, “T-the person you hold close to your heart –“

His hold on my form tightened. “Indeed,” he breathed before letting go of me – his arms still on my shoulders. His eyes slowly roamed the environment.

“I-I feel the same,” he said lowly, before cupping my cheeks and closing the distance between us.

Our lips touched lightly. Even if the contact lasted for few seconds; it was enough to make my heart go faster. My racing pulse was supporting the colour on my cheeks. He was the first human to have hold me in such a lovingly manner and I felt light-hearted only thinking about it. To be treated as an equal and loved as a living being was a new and wonderful experience. And I had the opportunity to witness it with someone I had met coincidentally. What would have become of me if I had not met him?

I hid my head in his chest while he embraced me again. If he would be hurt in these battles, Captain Roberts would face much more than an angry mermaid. After he had hurt Arthur in the battle of the ancient Island, I had wished for vengeance – just like Gilbert. This last fight would be Roberts doom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Muahahah >:D sorry, Iggy really needed to kiss her – besotted pirate >:D – and there is not better opportunity than the moment before they would enter the war. And yes, there is a small implication of SpaBel :D; can you imagine? Former Pirate Captain – now Admiral – Spain and Lady Belgium :D so adorable :3. I partly wrote this chapter in a 3-hour long train ride and I felt awkward (although no one is watching or interested in what I was doing, I still feel paranoid oO).
> 
> I started this story with 2 main pairings and I will end it with 3 main pairings and several minor couples xD But it’s spring after all, so spread the love ~ . For a year now, I have worked on this story xD I started publishing it in July and at the moment it has over 118 DINA4 pages and almost 60’000 words. I never thought this story would be so big xD It was supposed to be a gift for a friend (as a Birthday present) and it somehow got more pages than originally planned :’D; Either way, I am almost done writing the summaries of the next chapters and I decided to complete the story after the next 10 chapters (the numbers could still change but I don’t think so). ]


	37. XXXVII

_Elizabeta_

“You must take care of you.”

I stared at Gilbert, who had just exclaimed his worries as we were waiting at the port. He had asked to privately speak to me – away from prying eyes. As if the situation was not clear enough, his eyes were mustering my face intensely, waiting for an answer.

“I will,” I replied a little breathless as his staring did not cease. It was obvious that he wanted to tell me something but was too reluctant to move his mouth.

“Eliz, I-I,” he said, a light shade of pink gracing his cheeks as he moved his head nervously around, looking for anyone nearby.

“Yes?” I asked, curious about his next words which did not come out of his mouth. My eyes observed him seconds after my question, before he decided to embrace me in rather rushed manner. My body was reacting on its own: I mimicked his move and hugged him back.

Weeks before, I would have never thought that I would find myself in that position. Although I had to admit that I had felt a strange connection to him the day I had danced with him in disguise of another woman. By now I knew that it was attraction and the common fate we shared: The loss of our dear mothers. I never thought that I would develop feelings for any men, but he had turned my world upside down, showed me how much he cared for me and my people. He, the kind of man who was loud, arrogant and stubborn, had won my heart. But I knew better, all these aspects of his character were not his real traits – except for the last one. It was a wall to protect himself from getting hurt; and he had let this shield down whenever I was with him.

Suddenly, he retreated and his hands moved to my coloured face – which was just as rosy as his.

“I-I really do care for you,” he whispered before leaning down. I was unsure of what do to but did not want to stop it; He felt the same towards me. My pulse raced; I was in high spirits and excited.

“P-pardon my intrusion.”

The both of us sprang apart immediately, after hearing the voicing apology. Upon realising that it was my father that had almost witnessed our kiss, Gilbert’s face was as red as his eyes and his expression screamed mortification.

“I-I,” he stuttered heavily, ”N-no need to apologise.”

I knew that he would have shouted or punished anyone that would have approached us, but seeing that it was the father of the woman he had affections for, his steady voice left him.

“I-I was only,” he proceeded his attempt of hiding his former intentions of kissing me, “Beg your pardon dear Sir.”

My father’s lips were deformed. Some would say that it was a grim expression, but I knew better: He was hiding his amusement rather poorly but did not want to openly laugh at Gilbert. The Prince – who would become King in a few years – had addressed my father as someone who possessed a rank. In addition to that, he had apologised with a stuttering voice. Being caught by my father seemed to have embarrassed him in a way that caused him to beg for my father’s pardon and to call him ‘ _Sir_ ’. If I had not been detected in this scene with Gilbert, I would have laughed too. But I felt my heart almost jump out of my body by thinking that my father had observed us.

“You are forgiven,” my father commented, his grin now more than visible while his eyes wandered from Gilbert to me. I cringed when I saw his wiggling eyebrows; He was an amusing man and liked to jest but this was so embarrassing for the albino and me that I refused to smile.

“If you don’t mind, Your Highness, I would like to have a word with my daughter.”

“O-Of course,” Gilbert answered before his eyes met mine shortly afterwards, “Take care.”

He reluctantly walked away, looking back after some metres. As the distance grew, my father finally spoke.

“What an amusing fellow,” he mentioned with a smirk, “and to know that a Prince has fallen in love with my beautiful daughter.”

My blush from before, adorned my face again. “F-Father!” I retorted.

“Well I cannot blame him. You are the most wonderful woman in the world.”

His compliment made me smile, my face relaxed and it felt as if I was a child again; only the both of us on the beach, playing with the sand. And now, we once again stood near the beach – ready to face a war instead of building sandcastles.

“Elizabeta, there is something I meant to tell you for such a long time,” he suddenly admitted, his smile faltering. “I have always waited for the perfect moment to tell you, but I came to the realisation that there is never a perfect moment for such news.”

Now I was curious and my questioning expression must have increased his nervousness. “There is a reason why the Borussian King accepted his son’s wish of us being pardoned,” he murmured before motioning me to sit down. “Liz . . . The Kingdom of Borussia is your mother’s hometown.”

My heart stopped for seconds. “W-What?” I whispered, stricken by this new information. My mother lived here?

“Your grandparents do still reside here,” he breathed before he continued to tell me about the family I never really knew about. His eyes focussed the ground and he took my hand. “Your mother found me on the beach, before the great port was even built. I was a shipwreck and lost half of my crew after a storm that had destroyed our ship. She was such a dear woman and took care of me.”

His eyes caught mine again. “I woke up in her house and was enchanted by her from the first moment on. She was generous, caring, lovely and beautiful. How could I not have fallen in love with her at first sight,” my father explained with a distant look in his eyes. “Your mother later told me that she had felt the need to take care of me the moment she had found me. Her urge to help had always been present.”

I was a little silent afterwards, seeing that my father was caught in his memories.

“B-but,” I asked, “what about my grandparents? Did they know who you were?”

“They first did not know. Of course they understood her need to care for me after she had found me in that injured state. I stayed for several months and we came to the decision to officially declare our love for each other.”

I watched my father as his expression saddened.

“Your grandmother, who worked at the castle and was the personal maid of the Queen, mentioned our courtship to the Prince’s mother.”

The Queen and my grandmother knew each other?

My father noticed my pounding face.

“The two of them had a close friendship and after the Queen had heard my name, she had warned your grandmother who in returned confronted me and your mother,” he spoke quietly before proceeding, “The guards wanted to imprison me, which of course your mother wanted to forestall. So we decided to run away and left a letter behind for her parents.”

“A letter. . .”

“Yes, she asked for forgiveness.”

It was an unbelievable story and I did not know what to think of it. My father had never told me about it. I was not sure if I was angry or sad.

“Do they know about me?”

His shaking head told me more than a thousand words. My grandparents were not aware of my existence and I craved to meet them

“Why didn’t you tell me?” I inquired, causing my father to scratch his head.

“I am sorry Liz, I should have told you right from the start.”

Some minutes passed before a sound disrupted the silence. It was a drum that symbolised the beginning of the war; our signal to enter our ships.

“I will fight by your side, Liz,” my father declared, “No harm will befall you.”

“Yes,” I smiled getting excited to fight along with him. Even if I forbid him to join me on the ship after that torturous experience he had witnessed on Roberts’ ship, I knew I could not stop him. My father would do everything for me to save me from death. We had always been a good team during fights. “No one messes with the Héderváry family.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: The war chapters will not be that long, because I suck at writing fighting scenes :’D. I have already written the next three chapters which will follow after this but I will post them every week. I want to start another story and need some time to work on it :3. I will edit this story when it is complete; I just don’t know when I will start correcting stuff, etc. (and I know there are a lot of mistakes :’D.)]


	38. XXXVIII

_Gilbert_

“Sakura!” I commanded as I walked away from Eliz who was engaged in a conversation with her father. He had startled me when I had dared an improper move towards his daughter. Yes, I wanted to kiss her; even if I was the Prince and she a pirate – but that was her past now, she was a member of the Borussian military forces. Who could blame me if I wanted to touch her and show her my affection? We would be separated in a war. After those adventurous weeks, I had fallen in love with her. Even if it first shocked me, I was not as disappointed as I thought I would be. She was an extraordinary companion, a fighter, caretaker and not superficial. Dresses, Accessory and ranks did not catch her interest – the evidence: she abducted a prince in order to save her father. To compare her to other females of society was impossible. Without a doubt, her beauty had taken my breath away, but it was her being that had stolen my heart.

My eyes wandered back to her and her father, causing my cheeks to heat again. The appearance of Nikolas had causing my nerves to go crazy. I even called him Sir due to my nervousness; my rank was far above him and I had been more civil to him than to my father.

I focussed back on my task of calling Sakura to go to our position. I shouted her name again only to be faced with an angry Kirkland whose flustered visage was indicating his displeasure. I had surprised them in the same manner as Eliz’s father had startled us.

“Your Highness,” Sakura exclaimed before pushing an annoyed Kirkland away from her.

“We need to take our positions.”

Kirkland was still glaring at me before uttering a reluctant “Understood”. While doing so, I quickly kissed the mermaid’s forehead. The blonde quickly whispered something in her ears before joining Elizabeta on their way of entering their ships. They were already introduced to the marine officers that would help them in the fight. It was obvious that both parties hold no affections towards another but a cold acquaintanceship with the purpose of winning this war.

“We will stay at the harbour, where we can observe the fights. I can contact everyone for changing tactics and call on the dragon. We have the control over everything that happens on our side,” I told Sakura on our way to the building on the port. We would settle on the rooftop, which would give us a good view on the battlefield.

Half an hour passed and as we arrived on the top of the building, I noticed the horizon: It was practically filled with lots of ships; Edelstein’s and Captain Roberts’ army.

“Oh my,” I murmured, turning around to watch Sakura’s reaction. She on the other hand had a challenging look in her eyes and I could see some flickers of red in her irises – which I had seen only once, during the battle on the ancient island. The mermaid was already channelling the magic for the war. Good. She wanted be over with this situation as fast as possible: Crushing the enemy within hours.

“Your Highness?”

It was Toris’ voice. I turned around for the source of the sound and was rather flabbergasted as no one was behind me until Sakura pointed with her fingers on the patch. “Oh.”

I lay my hand on the patch and focussed on the general. “Toris?”

“Yes,” he answered, sounding as surprised as I by this extraordinary technic of communication, “We have taken our positions on the east side of the Kingdom and their army has already taken action. We are under attack.”

I was not as astonished as I thought I would be. The enemies were quick in their attacks and did not want to waste any minute.

“All right, we will be soon under attack at the ocean,” I told him, “take care, General, I trust you.”

He quickly replied, “Thank you.”

 

The ships of Edelstein and Roberts were nearing the coast. Once again I put my hand on the magical communication tool and gave my three admirals the order to fire while I asked Sakura to summon the creatures of the ocean – except for the dragon – to help us in the fight. She nodded only to open her eyes which sparkled with magenta. The colour was more intensive as I have ever witnessed. The first canon shots sounded through the area.

I knew that my father was not as convinced by my way of handling the war but I had other methods which he had not: A dragon, magic and a mermaid that was loyal to me. It was a new kind of waging a war, but I was sure that victory was not far away. We could manage it; we had our reasons to fight: new made friends, the urge to protect those we cared about and love. None of us stepped back from this war.

My mother always told me that war could never achieve peace; that bombs and death was not a peaceful way of handling conflicts; She was right. But if we were provoked by others which wanted to destabilise regions and countries for their own greed, we had to defend ourselves. It was not only the royal family and the population of Borussia that was in danger, but the creatures of the ocean were just as concerned. Sakura was hurt because she wanted to protect me: she was an innocent – although seeing her right now with red eyes and the expression of someone who would tear anyone apart, was far from innocence. Elizabeta and her crew were blackmailed and forced to abduct me. All of those that shared the same path as them were now fighting against Edelstein and Roberts’.

The view of the battlefield was accompanied with the sounds of screams, canons and crashes. My eyes focussed on the ship that belonged to Elizabeta; they were still irrespective of any damage – thank God. Apart from aforementioned sounds, new explosions appeared underneath the water surface.

“What?” I breathe. “Don’t tell me Edelstein has put mines under water.”

When did they manage to do that? My thoughts were immediately filled with Roberts’ crew and their nasty methods. One ship was attacked rather brutally – it was Kirkland’s ship.

“T-they use canons under water,” a new voice interrupted my thoughts. It was Kirkland himself and he did not sound extremely amused. This new information was important and some moments later, new explosions were heard over the place. Smoke disrupted the view of the ship and I was uncertain until I heard Sakura saying something. And her expression was angry. 

“They have arrived,” Sakura muttered darkly.

And I did not understand her words, “What?”

The question remained unanswered as I noticed _them_. It was an army of mermaids: some were fighting; others were creating shields around my army’s ships.


	39. XXXIX

_Arthur_

My hand caressed the railing of the wooden vessel. It was such a gorgeous ship; but not as beautiful as my former ship which unfortunately had been destroyed due to that storm weeks ago. If it had not been damaged, I would have never landed on that ancient island. Well I certainly would not have taken part in this war if my crew and I had not been stranded and bumped into Elizabeta’s crew. But it all had happened and I could not be upset about it. I would have never met Sakura or befriended Elizabeta and her Prince. My mouth was set in a grim line: I would have never had to work with that bloody Antonio.

He was not on my ship, which was fortunate for my nerves. Among the members of my crew, some of the marine officers were on the vessel: experienced sailors and young men. The latter were observing my ship and my crew with intense eyes. Only one of them was watching me with curiosity. For minutes he was following me but did not approached him. Hopefully he would stop his movements and leave me to be.

“Sir?” A young man asked, as I turned around. “Or Admiral? Admiral, Sir?”

“What is it, Lad,” I harshly replied and was annoyed by his manner; we were seconds away from fighting and he had nothing else to do than addressing me with several names.

“I was just wondering if you could answer some of my questions?”

I mustered his face; such a young visage, his smile as radiant as the sun. The blonde hair shined with the sun while his blue eyes were hidden by glasses. He could not be older than nineteen and I was certain that he was inexperienced. Sailors and soldiers of war would not wear such a grin if they were on the brink of facing a war. Although he seemed friendly, I could not shake the feeling off that his questions would be bold. My head slowly nodded – a sign for him to continue with his speaking.

“Well, Sir, I am Alfred Jones, a new cadet of the marine,” he informed me, the smile on his face not ceasing, “You are the one that is engaged to that cool mermaid the Prince has in his army, right? Her magical performance is amazing!”

I wanted to gulp but needed to cough at the same time due to his bold questioning.

“E-Engaged?” I was dumbfounded. But the mere thought of being engaged to Sakura was something I secretly approved. I would certainly not mind but why was he asking me such a question even if he did not know me?

“Yeah, everyone is talking about it,” Alfred exclaimed, “We saw how you told her goodbye.”

At that notion I felt my face heat again. They saw it? His wiggling eyebrows confirmed his statement and my blood started to boil.

“Brat! Why are you telling me this?”

“Well I wanted to know where you found her?”

My eyes hardened, “Found?”

“Yes, I mean, I would like to be just as swept away by a mermaid as you are. The infamous former Pirate Arthur Kirkland whose heart now belongs to a lovely mermaid,” the lad justified his question with a dreamy expression in his eyes. What a bold explanation!

“Jones, concentrate on the upcoming fight, not on some romantic dream you have,” I commanded.

“Indeed Sir, but you inspired me to believe so,” he continued, “A mermaid that falls in love with a human.”

I was growing impatient with this brat; some part of me wanted to protect his innocence from this bloody battle, while the other part wanted to lecture him for approaching a man that was several years his senior.

“Admiral! The enemy ships are coming closer!”

Despite the topic of Alfred’s and mine conversation, I was still focussed on our environment. Roberts’ ships were closing the distance between them and us; but something was wrong. It was too silent and they were not as fast in approaching us as I thought they would.

Only seconds later, an explosion appeared. The impact was brutal, causing me to fall to the ground. Those bastards had some kind of a new weapon: bombs and cannons under water which were used unseen by all of us. Suddenly, it were not only those tools that attacked us. But their ships were nearby; their crews ready to enter our ship. I perked my head up, looking for the damage they had caused and for any casualties. Some of my crew and the marines were injured and as my eyes fell on my leg I noticed that I too had been hurt in the process.

“Bloody bastards,” I mumbled with a frown on my face. My legs were badly wounded and prevented me from standing up. A small light graced the injury and I knew immediately who was healing it. I grabbed my sword as a shadow caressed my form; the feeling of unsettlement spread through my body. They were on _my_ ship.

Seeing that I was in great disadvantage, the enemy wielded his sword in order to strike me. He had clearly underestimated me. I drew my cutlass and blocked his move before using my other hand to pull a smaller knife from my trousers, cutting his Achilles’ tendon with it. The man fell immediately, grabbing his bloodstained feed with both of his hands, before I stood up – ignoring the pain in my leg – and ended his life with one strike. Noises of fighting and clashing blades filled my ears.

I was still wobbly on my feet and the injury not fully healed. It definitely limited my moves. Even if I was hoping for the recovery of my legs, I was still worrying over Sakura. If she healed everyone who was injured and took care of the magic and the dragon then her energy would be drained from her body in less than a few hours. Without thinking too much, I quickly contacted the Prince to tell him about this new occasion.

Another presence tried to attack me from behind. Unfortunately that person was aware of my condition and kicked my legs, causing me to fall. He hit the sword out of my hand and prepared his weapon to shot me.

I blinked; the trigger on his pistol was never pulled. Jones had positioned himself between us and fought the enemy’s attacks. He needed some minutes to make fatal hits which would put his enemy at disadvantage. In disregard of his position as a cadet, the brat had talent. Some of his moves were still sloppy but he managed to claim victory as his opponent’s unconscious body faced the ground.

“Done,” the young man turned around with a grin.

“Indeed.” A small smile graced my face. He reminded me of myself, when I was younger; only that his attitude was more impudent than mine. My legs were completely healed again, ready to steady my weight for the next fights.

“How could I have let you –”

All of a sudden, another explosion caused the vessel to shake violently. It hit the mast next to us. Unfortunately, this time the impact was more intense than before. I was hurled through the air like a leave would in the eye of a storm. The first item that hit my back was the wooden railing I was admiring before. Alfred has not been as lucky as I in this situation, as I saw his body flying off the ship into the dark abyss of the sea.

_Blimey!_

The ringing in my ears had not ceased because of that bloody explosion. Before I tried to stand up, my nose caught a strange scent that lay in the air: similar to the scent of the ocean. Several other explosions lightened the atmosphere, but the sounded was dimmed. I was not sure if it was because to my deafened ears or if something had occurred until my eyes caught a light bluish veil which surrounded my ship. Some objects crushed against it but did not break through. _A protection spell?_

“Help!” someone screamed, yet I did not recognise the voice. However, I noticed that it was none of my men as I steadied myself on the railing. It were the enemies who were attacked… but not by any of my men or the marine.

“In the name of God,” I muttered; shock written all over my face. Mermaids, sirens, Mermen… Everyone from the merfolk was defending us. My pulse increased as I felt my mouth forming a generous smile. Only one person was capable of creating a shield and calling the creatures of the sea to help us. “Take them down, dearest.”

I looked back into the sea where Alfred had fallen into; my eyes searched for any sign of him. Among the numerous sirens and mermaids who drowned the enemy pirates – although some of them were wearing a smirk, probably being enchanted by the female creatures even if they would face death in any moment – I caught the form of the blonde lad in the arms of a mermaid.

He was throwing her a dashing smile, while she looked rather annoyed. My hand caressed my forehead, seeing that his dream of meeting a mermaid had become true, regardless of the female whose expression worsened. The young officer was babbling while she was swimming with him towards our ship. Her long black hair was bound in a low tail and I could see that she was just as petite as Sakura. She caught my eyes and I was not certain if I saw a light plead in her face – I could sympathise with her, Alfred did have a strange way of exclaiming his fascination for mermaids and inspiriting Captains who had fallen in love with one of the merfolk.

It was a paradox sight; Alfred who was smiling because he was saved by a mermaid and the other men who were killed by the same creatures – although sirens were more brutal than mermaids. He was put back on the ship and his saviour wanted to join the fight again as he thanked her sincerely before she dive into the water again.

“Oh, Sir,” he breathe, the goofy look still present on his face. “You must ask your fiancée what my rescuer’s name was.”

I gave him a questioning look, trying to ignore my beating heart at hearing the word _fiancée_. “Only if we win this war, brat,” I answered, pressing his blade in his hand. “We still need to fulfil our part of the fighting.”

The enemies were clearly weakened, thanks to the creatures of the sea. We quickly used the cannons to damage their ships – after Gilbert had given me the confirmation through the patch that our bullets could pierce the shield and we would still be protected from the enemy’s bullets. During these attacks, I observed Antonio’s crew, who by now had encircled the ships with the secret underwater cannons. If the fights would proceed in that way, then victory would not be far.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Well while I already am at it with throwing pairings into the story; have some minor AmeViet :D such a cute and adorable pairing :3. I kind of love those pairings where Person A is more energetic and impulsive while Person B is more quiet, reversed but loves Person A despite their behaviour :D the impulsive one needs someone who calms them while the shy/quiet one needs someone that shows them to be more extroverted :3 (in my opinion :))


	40. XL

_Natalya_

“That was rather easy,” I muttered to myself as I observed the group of men that lay down by my feet. I had defeated them within some minutes and could not be proud enough about it. My hands were completely healed and my spirit heightened. Even if I was a loner in battling, it was still a nice experience to lead an army. No one questioned my decisions and every one of the Borussian soldiers followed my lead. But another reason for this could be the presence of their General, who was fighting next to me. He was the first one – with the exception of my former crew – who trusted me. Toris had respected me since our first meeting; he had never abandoned me even if he was aware of my true character. I was not a woman that would be swoon by a man’s romantic actions; I would be more content to get a nice blade, instead of flowers. And he was aware of all of these aspects and accepted them nonetheless. I eyed him as he fought next to me. “Everything all right?”

“Yes,” I replied sheepishly before raising my voice again, “We are moving forward very quickly.”

“Well, the Borussian army is famous for their ground troops and our forces are incredible strong; so we won’t have any problems to fight here.” Toris looked at me, causing my face to heat – which happened often lately – before I focussed back on the battlefield. We were a strong army and I did not doubt our victory; even if the others would have problems on the sea, they still had a magical mermaid and dragon that were capable of frightening and killing the enemies.

“Our defences on the east area are strong, we are almost at the border,” Toris proudly said while his hands lay on the patch on his arm. He was communicating to the albino Prince who was still the head of our group.

“Good, push them back behind the borders. Don’t attack the villages and the innocent people,” Gilbert replied, “We will need some time here and I believe that Edelstein is on one of the ships.”

Toris nodded, before he repeated the orders to the rest of the army. After the commanding, he turned around; his eyes gazing into mine. “The Borussian army is not famous for their marine or fights on water; that is why we will have an easy job here.”

Despite the situation, I liked to stay by his side – especially during these fights – and enjoyed it; we were a good team as I had already concluded on the ancient island when we had fought together. As he had introduced me to his army, they had immediately shown respect. Some of the soldier’s faces had expressed fear and dismay but this had quickly changed after I had trained with them. They respected their general and his opinion of me. I had never thought that I would train the Borussian army one day; I was sure that my skills could bring me further in a career of becoming a General in this army. But then … Did I really want to stay here?

We were pardoned from our criminal acts and I knew that Feliks wanted to do other things than pirating. Elizabeta would be promoted to be an admiral of the crew and I was certain that she and the prince would confess their love to each other – even a blind person could see that coming. They were meant to be together and the odd friendship they shared was more than just an acquaintance. We all knew; the prince risked everything to save her live – including us. We would not die by the Borussian Kingdom because of his intervention. Feliks and Elizabeta were my family, and if they decided to stay here then I would stay here as well. My blue-violet eyes observed the General . . . Toris would remain too; his promotion kept him here . . . The feeling of my fast beating heart was disrupting my thoughts. I could not leave any of my friends nor him behind; but would I really be ready for a future in this Kingdom?

“Miss Natalya? Are you feeling unwell?”

There it was again; his worried tone, his need to inquire after my well-being. No one had ever asked me of it; No man had even bothered to care about my feelings because they thought I was cold-hearted. And now it was him that had lightened that part in my life. In my heart.

“Everything is – ”

A shudder went down my spine . . . Someone stood behind him, and he was not a member of our army.

“Get down,” I shouted, pushing Toris to the ground. Within a second I threw my knife in the enemy’s head. Needless to mention that I was the last person he saw in his life before he fell.

The cold façade my face had, melted as I noticed the blood on my hands. A frown graced my face; I had not cut myself, so why was I bleeding. Instantly, my eyes wandered to Toris who clasped his hands on his stomach. “Oh no,” I whispered. He was hurt, and it somehow made me feel distressed and helpless. Even if I had taken down the enemy, Toris’ injury was still weakening him.

“General!” Some of the men screamed and hurried to us.

“Nothing bad has happened, only a scratch,” the green-eyed General mumbled with his hand firm on the wound. “The question is; how he could have advanced towards me this quickly?”

“He must have hidden himself under the bodies of his dead comrades,” I concluded, following the footprints of the culprit.

“Examine the surroundings, look under the bodies of the enemies!”

After Toris’ command, I quickly helped him in steading his body against mine. During that process I could not shake off the blush on my cheeks.

“We need to bandage your injury,” I murmured, turning towards him to look at his face. Instead of a grimacing face because of the pain he felt, the man smiled as if God had fulfilled all of his wishes.

“T-Toris?”

His smile did not cease, but only grew after he hurt my stuttering. “You are so beautiful,” he said with such a low voice that my heart froze. What had gotten into him? Was the wound infecting his brain? He could not speak in that manner to me in the middle of a battlefield! The surrounding soldiers nudged themselves in the ribs, grinning at the two of us . . . Oh God, they had heard.

“You really need someone to take care of your wound or Sakura will handle it,” I huffed, turning my head away from him. This would have consequences when he would recover but not before I would crush the enemy’s army with my own hands. How dare they hurt Toris and make me carry him to the sick bay!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Tsundere Belarus gives me life :D and Toris is only increasing this behaviour of hers :D I love it :D. I kinda lofe Nyo!Lietbel too :3]


	41. XLI

_Elizabeta_

“What the hell is happening on that ship?” Feliks asked, wearing a baffled expression. I could not disagree with his question, because the sight of Kirkland’s ship was blocked by smoke. We heard screams, explosions and clanging sounds but couldn’t see anything.

Before I could voice my worries, I heard Kirkland through the patch. He mentioned underwater cannons which had damaged their ship greatly. Unfortunately, their vessel was not the only one that was targeted; only seconds after his exclamation, our ship started shaking too. But the impact was not triggered by any bombs, cannons or explosions; but by the ocean’s waves.

“Seriously? What now?” Feliks muttered, holding onto the railing next to me.

“It seems as if they are only attacking Kirkland,” I noticed, regretting the words I used only seconds later. The blonde admiral’s ship was under attack for the purpose of distraction. We did not realise it until foreign pirates entered our deck and surprised us with their filthy presence.

“Oh shit,” I cursed while Feliks looked at the new _guests_ with a critical expression.

“Seriously? That outfit? I thought the Edelsteins had enough money to occupy a good designer who at least had a little sense of fashion.”

I was not the only one whose widened eyes focussed on Feliks after hearing his remark. Even if I was used to this kind of exclamations from him; listening to his critics in the middle of a war was surprising – although I was certain that he tended to hide his fears with those expressions. His eyes were still judging our enemies, who grew angrier the more they were stared at by a rather sassy Feliks.

I could have smiled or laughed because the scene was too funny to watch, but decided against it due to the current circumstances. There was neither time nor the right moment to laugh at those who were capable of killing us.

“My my. What do we have here? Dear Lizzie, her father and the crew.”

That voice . . . It had the same cruel ring in it as it always did whenever I heard it. The face of Captain Roberts greeted us. It was his ship that attacked us, but I had not recognised any of his crew members. Either he had some of Edelstein’s members on his ship or new recruits.

“Oh,” Mathias – who had placed himself next to me and my father – uttered before he started swinging his axe. We did not waste any minutes and ran forward in order to attack the notorious captain and his damned crew. I wanted to target Roberts; he who had caused so much trouble and pain. Yet I was stopped by one of is lackeys. “Don’t stand in my way!” I screamed before knocking him down with all the energy I had left in my body – which was a lot; my father had always told me that I had fierce strength. I quickly looked around: everyone was fighting and so far, my crew was doing fine. Mathias was throwing the enemies across the ship as if they were mere pillows, while every single strike of Feliks against the pirates was accompanied with a judging look or comment – a tactic to distract the enemies and which had worked more than once.

As some minutes passed, my high spirits left me. There were too many enemies attacking us and Kirkland’s and Antonio’s ship had not reappeared – smoke was still preventing us to see what had happened. My eyes focussed back on the persons in front of me. It were two tall men; one holding a pistol, while the other was swinging his cutlass. I wasted no time in fighting and I had one great advantage: those two underestimated me, the one with the sword wanted to have some fun with me. The other one would wait until he could finish me off with his pistol. To their dismay, I had already analysed their moves. The tallest of them – with the cutlass – attacked me, but I ducked and kicked him in the gut before caressing his throat with my sword. My hands did not let go of him when he fell; I used him as a shield, causing the other pirate to shot at me. I pushed the dead body forward when I rushed towards the shooting enemy, making him step behind – which to his dismay was the railing of the ship. He fell behind into the ocean, a little shocked by my bold move.

As I observed the falling figure, I noticed the raging waves that clashed against my ship. Nervously I moved my head, to properly see the movements of the ocean: I was confronted with the sight of mermaids and sirens, which were drowning the enemies. Kirkland’s ship came into view – after the smoke had ceased – and I saw a blue veil around his vessel.

“A protection wall?”

I was astonished and happy at the same time. The creatures of the ocean had come to help us.

“I never thought you would use the power of the mermaid,” someone behind me mumbled and I immediately knew who was gracing me with his presence.

“Roberts,” I hissed darkly, turning around, only to be stabbed in the stomach. I had let my guard down; giving him a chance to attack me so openly.

“Y-you…” I could not finish my sentence without coughing up blood. That idiot had hit me fatally and my feet could not hold my weight anymore.

“Yes, I!” he spoke harshly, “I never thought you would succeed in stealing the amulet. And then you rescued your father and manipulated a kingdom to wage a war against me and my allies.”

His frown grew. “You had dared all of that, you little hussy,” he almost shouted, “I will not lose to you or your so-called friends.”

Panic claimed my body as I remembered the moment where my father had been abducted. It was the same scene; a déjà-vu. Instantly, my eyes searched for him, fearing that Roberts had once again taken my father. The blood leaked out of my clothes, the pain growing stronger while I felt drowsy. Would this be the end? No, it could not be. A little spark under my chest and on my arm appeared and I was not sure if I was imagining it or not, but the feeling of warmness ran through my body. Someone was healing me. Of course! The patch I had received from Sakura.

I laid my hand on the patch on my arm, feeling weak due to the critical condition I was in. “Thank you, Sakura,” I whispered.

“You are badly hurt Elizabeta,” she answered and at that moment, Gilbert interrupted the conversation rather loudly. “What!?” He must have heard Sakura’s reply and put his hand on the patch to contact me. One could almost hear his shouting and cursing from his location without the use of the patch. His voice was loud enough for it.

“You are communicating through that?”

I eyed the evil captain again who pointed his sword on the patch.

“Roberts is standing in front of me . . . Sakura can you heal me faster?” I whispered, trying to avoid speaking to loud. I did not want Roberts to hear me. “I think he will kill me before I have time to react.”

My voice was not low enough and the enemy pirate had heard me nonetheless. “If you are calling for back up through that, then I better cut off your arm,” he concluded before lifting his sword.

“Hands off my daughter!”

I shot up to my legs – although the pain in my stomach forced me to the ground again – seeing that my father had intervened. He had come to save me!

The cuts on his arms and face displayed his efforts of the fights he had gone through. And now he stood in front of the man that had abducted him and blackmailed me.

“How dare you hurt my little Lizzie,” he panted, blocking the strikes from Roberts. He kept on defending and fighting, but his stamina was not as strong as his eyes which screamed determination.

In all the sudden, a roaring scream echoed through the area; a strange and terrifying sound that stopped everyone from fighting – even Roberts and my father. An unsettled feeling filled my stomach . . . This was not human . . . Something had happened and it was not human. Fear dominated my thoughts . . . It sounded like a giant animal from hell. I lifted my head to the sky and was not prepared for the sight that would confront me: Giant dark blue wings, white horns, and a scarred mouth that spit blue flames.

“A-a Dragon?” I whispered to myself. In all seriousness, Gilbert had unleashed the dragon. But it was too early!?

It was a mighty and proud creature but looked beautiful nonetheless. It possessed the same eye-colour as the youngest Prince in the kingdom. The family was bounded to it; not only by blood but with that certain blue colour too. “How fascinating.”

The healing process on my wound was making progress. I did not know why but suspected the dragon’s presence which might have caused the magic to flow stronger. Expressions of fascination and wonder around me were uttered by my crew and the marine, while the enemies were scared and shocked. And they should feel frightened!

After the dragon’s roaring, the mermaids and sirens mimicked the sounds before some of the ships were set on fire. Blue fire. The dragon was attacking the enemies, who in return targeted the flying creature with their cannons.

“This is our chance!” I screamed to my crew, who understood the situation and continued the fighting. One could see the fear in the enemies’ eyes. Roberts knocked my father down before running away. He still was the same coward as weeks before: Fleeing when his victory was at risk.

“Is everything all right?” I hear someone call. It was Gilbert and I did not waste any second to answer him. “Yes . . . My wound is healing quickly,” I replied breathlessly, “I did not think you would pull that trick.”

“Well you were in danger; of course I will use my strongest weapon.”

I smiled. It was an expression that warmed my heart.

“Still, we need to end this war as quickly as possible,” he informed me, “Sakura is controlling this vast area of the ocean, all the inhabitants of the sea . . . But her energy is limited. The creatures are protecting you, so your defence is secured. It is your job to uphold the offense.”

“Understood,” I said looking for the fleeing captain. “Get him,” my father murmured. He had quickly recovered from the fall and I nodded. My eyes wandered around and I caught Roberts figure immediately; the man was desperately trying to jump on his ship. Although he succeeded, I dashed forward before grabbing a rope and swinging myself on the other vessel. My wound had completely closed but I was sure that a scar would remain.

The roaring dragon circled in the air, _greeting_ every enemy ship with fire. The horizon that was filled with lots of ships was cleared. So, those cowards had decided to retreat due to the dragon’s _performance_. If we succeeded in kettling the remaining pirates, we could win this war. I hoped that Natalya was doing fine on her battleground . . . But she had to. Toris had informed us of their victory.

“Wait!” I screamed and Roberts stopped dead in his tracks. He was scared . . . good.

“Fight me!”

He turned around with a smirk, which disappeared as something big crashed behind me. Strangely enough, I was not scared; I somehow had the suspicion that it was the dragon that stood behind me.

Without thinking, I rushed to Roberts and noticed how his hand was clutching his right arm. So my father had hurt him badly during their clash. Seeing that he was right-handed, he would have problems in handling my fierce blows.

“Take this, you idiot!”

If my father had seen me, he would have described me as a woman who went berserk. I did not care; my friends, my father, a whole kingdom, the inhabitants of the sea and a dragon were on my side: Their presence alone and the feeling that all of them believed in me and my crew was enough to heighten my spirits. I would defeat that coward.

Even if he managed to block some of my strikes, he could not block them any longer. My blows were far too aggressive for him to stop. Aside from my sword, I used my left fist to punch his face several times.

 

I suddenly felt someone grabbing my hand.

“That’s enough Liz.”

I looked up to see Mathias grinning. “I know you want him dead, but I think it is better to prosecute him, put him in jail where he and his friends are waiting for death to take them.”

My eyes wandered back to the unconscious form of Roberts. I was not sure how I did it, but his face was full of blood, his body adorned with wounds. The sword in my hand was soaked in blood. “Oh . . .”

“Don’t worry about him now . . . we will take him to the prince,” the blonde concluded before watching the fleeing ships, “It seems that they are afraid of us.”

“Indeed.”

“The only one that needs to be defeated is Edelstein. If we take him down, we will have power over Eastdorn and their royal family.”

I nodded, if this was the only required step to win, then we would finally be at peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: Poland judging his enemies by their clothing is my head canon xD. He has a great sense of style and seeing that he has to fight against people who have no talents for fashion is bugging him. Finally, the dragon has shown itself :D *it was about damn time* . Roberts was weakened from the fights before and badly hurt by Lizzie’s Dad. In addition to that, he was pretty scared by the dragon and internally gave up.]


	42. XLII.

_Sakura_

“We have Roberts.”

I looked up at Gilbert who smiled proudly. Elizabeta’s information about having caught the notorious captain was delightful and a great achievement.

“Good, we will try to get to Edelstein to take him hostage,” Gilbert spoke, giving this order to all of those who were in the possession of the patch. He sighed, a sign to calm himself down. I could see that he was relieved. Ten minutes ago, his emotions had displayed every sign of tenseness. The Prince had seen my struggle with the amount of power – which was still a lot to handle – and after hearing that Elizabeta was injured, he _somehow_ lost control. The white-haired prince had no power of directly summoning the dragon, only to order him around. But somehow he must have called him. The cause was Elizabeta’s fatal wound which was worrying him to the extent of summoning the dragon. I had felt his desperate attempt of forcing the dragon to make an appearance. I was aware that after the ritual, we were bounded; but he had managed to take control of my body for summoning the creature which came out of the ocean near the port. And I was certain that he was not sure how he had succeeded in doing so. Gilbert had done it out of instinct, because one of his beloved ones was on the verge of being killed. His emotions were the trigger.

The merfolk and sirens I had called were fighting along with the Borussian sailors and the dragon. Some of the enemies were already fleeing the scene; but of course I had ordered several mermaids to follow them either way. If this war was to be won, we had to catch all of the culprits who had endangered my friends. _My friends_ , a word that was still unfamiliar for me.

I was still concentrated on the battlefield on front of me as Gilbert lightly tapped my shoulder. “Sakura, you are bleeding!”

It was my nose that bled, I knew. I never thought I was capable of controlling so much magic of this area of the sea, and now my energy was slowly leaving me. It was a lot to handle, apart from the sea creatures, the dragon took up a lot of magic . . . If I had divided the magic among several mermaids then we could have channelled and shared the energy together. We would have more stamina left for the war.

“Don’t worry,” I murmured, trying to focus on my task while he contacted the others.

“You need to hurry up,” Gilbert commanded, causing my eyes to widen. He did not need to express it in an ordering way. “Sakura is bleeding due to a great loss of energy.”

Not a second after he had finished his statement, Arthur protested.

“She is bleeding?! O-of course we will hurry!” he stuttered; the worry in his voice was obvious. I slowly sighed. He had worried me half an hour ago when he was hurt and almost blown away by the enemy’s cannons. And now he was thinking about my safety.

“I’ve got a plan,” he voiced again through the patch, “Antonio! Alfred! You lazy brats, I need your help. Sakura? Can you ask the mermaids to secretly bring us on board of Edelstein’s ship? We could surprise him and attack.”

“Yes,” I breathed, noticing that my body was weaker than before. If this was a consequence of saving the Kingdom and the ones I cared about, than I would fight against unconsciousness as long as possible.

I murmured a small spell to increase the protection wall on our ships, before creating fog. It would be a distraction for the enemies and a good opportunity for Antonio, Arthur and this new sailor he had called Alfred, to be transported by the mermaid to Edelstein’s ship. Long before Arthur had uttered his plans, I had traced the Eastdornian man’s location. They were not far away from him. The mermaids I had called lead them to Edelstein; the ships with the underwater cannons had long been taken down by some of the summoned creatures and Antonio’s crew; They were not endangered by those new weapons. Before the Edelstein crew could detect them, Gilbert ordered the dragon to fly above their ship – for distraction. This once again took a lot of my energy and I knew it would not be long until I would close my eyes, but the feeling of hope was forcing me to stay awake. They were encircled by mermaids, our pirates and the mighty dragon. Edelstein would not claim victory under such circumstances.

“We are near the ship,” Arthur whispered before he and his two companions entered the ship. I quickly ordered the mermaids to stay with them and assist them in their fight.

 

Not a minute passed before I heard the voice again that had won my heart weeks ago.

“We have him; well he surrendered to us . . . Most of his crew members did not survive the attacks and the rest somehow fled the scenery.”

“Good,” Gilbert spoke, diverting his eyes to my shaking form. The fog was slowly clearing. “Take him immediately to me. Tell me, are there any other enemy ships nearby?” the Prince asked again.

“No… Well there are a lot of burning ships, parts of vessels and shipwrecked who are being drowned by sirens and mermaids,” the blonde admiral answered. His voice suddenly changed in a more concerned sound. “Is Sakura all right? How is she doing?”

“I-I am f-fine,” I mumbled, feeling as if my head was being stabbed by sharp knives, while I tasted iron in my mouth. “H-have we won?”

I was not certain what exactly was happening around me, but the Prince’s hopeful look indicated that we had fought a successful fight.

“Sakura?!”

The red colour in my eyes changed to my familiar light brown; the magic was drained off my body. Luckily, Gilbert had noticed and quickly caught me when I fell forward.

“You have completely outdone yourself.”

“Y-yes,” I whispered with closed eyes. “Some of the mermaids will probably stay for protection . . . They had promised me during the fight . . .”

“All right,” Gilbert exclaimed, “we have Roberts and Edelstein . . . The rest will be a matter of negotiation.”

“. . . Indeed . . .”

He mumbled something lowly but I could not fathom what it was, as I lost consciousness at that moments. The remaining mermaids would secure the port and drive away the rest of the enemies. It had been a quick fight in comparison of other wars . . . But my body was just as weak as someone who had fought for months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: A rather short chapter, but Gilbert and his team have claimed victory; there are still enemies left, but with the possession of a dragon, Roberts and Edelstein, they can negotiate with the neighbouring kingdom. Everyone has witnessed the power of the creatures which the Kingdom has used, and now many people will be frightened by their power. The war was quickly ended because Sakura immediately used the creatures of the sea to decrease the numbers of the enemies. Gilbert’s reaction of calling the dragon was unplanned and only happened because Elizabeta was hurt. So they all did not except it to be so short – neither was I xD but I wanted to finish this story as quick as possible, there are only 4 chapters left :) . ]


	43. XLIII.

_Gilbert_

“Puh, endlich,” I murmured, watching the battlefield on the sea which was getting clearer as the fog slowly disappeared. Sakura lay in my arms; I had caught her the moment I had seen her eyes rolling back; Her nose was bleeding, she was shaking and her forehead was extremely warm. She was completely worn out and had caught a fever.

“Kirkland is going to kill me,” I grumbled. I could already feel the admiral’s fists clenching. But I did not judge him; If Elizabeta had been in the same position as Sakura, I would have gone berserk – which I did . . . I had somehow used Sakura’s and my bound to summon the dragon. Still, I had therefore risked Sakura’s life. Her magic and energy depended on the actions the dragon took. If I would explain this to Kirkland, he would want to have my head for this.

The communication between me and my army did not function: Sakura was responsible for the patches and due to her bad condition this kind of tool for receiving information from any of the admirals was failing. The only aspects which remained – and signalled that magic had been a part of this short battle – were the mermaids at the port who supported my army. I smirked, thinking about how a lot of my sailors would want to know who they were. Being a mermaid attracted many men – one did only have to ask Kirkland. I would give him the task of giving them the answers. At least then he would not be obsessed with the idea of wanting to punch me. I knew I was overthinking it, but I did not want to risk facing that angry blonde. Not today.

A light roar sounded through the air and my eyes caught the flying dragon that was flying closely towards me.

“I thought he had vanished when Sakura had fainted . . .”

The creature softly landed on the roof, staring down at me and the mermaid. I slowly laid Sakura down, putting my cloak on her form before I warily walked to the dragon. It did not speak, and if it did, I would have panicked. But it did not need to form any words with its mouth. The blue of its eyes was intense enough to talk. The light blue shade was the same as my brother’s eyes; and the same as my mother’s . . . I was not scared by its appearance . . . It was fascination and a strange feeling of familiarity. The more I observed it, the more I thought that it was smiling. I stepped forward, the distance between us shortened and I was able to lay my hand on its nose. The warm breeze blew some of my strands from my face.

“Thank you,” I whispered with a smile, “Thank you for fighting.”

I was not certain . . . Was I imagining things? In a second, the face of my mother flickered in front of me, before disappearing again.

It nodded lightly before taking off again. I watched how it flew into the sea, leaving a light sparkle in the air and on the water surface.

“Wow.”

 

My feet took me back to Sakura, who still had not woken up. I took her head and put it softly on my lap, waiting for her to open her eyes.

We won . . . Roberts and Edelstein were in our hands. And I was glad that the war had been a very short one. My father and I would decide what the two of them would face. Roberts would probably be hanged or imprisoned, while Edelstein would be taken to court for treason and the fate of his whole family and his country lay in his hands. I would not risk another war with his country: death, poverty, exploitation . . . I did not want to see such misery among the population; whether it was my people or not. If we would have another war with Eastdorn, we would fuel hate.

The world will learn of this war and the possibility of summoning the dragon. But the kingdoms with their respective dragons had alliances. For centuries, we had fulfilled our mission in keeping peace. In addition to that I knew that the dragons would not wage a war against each other. They had more sensibility; humans tend to be greedy. Their urge to be rich and powerful had caused so many wars. As I had just experienced, I could tell that those dragons did not fight for the same purposes as humans did. Those who were in possession of the amulets of the dragons were peacekeeping countries. People like Edelstein had no possibility of gaining the power of a dragon if their blood was involved with their respective families.

Either way, I would not stop until peace it restored . . . And it started by taking war criminals to court.

Time passed as I reflected on the future and this war. So much had changed during the past month. I had never dreamed of witnessing such events. I was taken away from a boring ball for the sake of being abducted. From then I created alliances and befriended pirates before going into a war with dragons and mermaids. Who would have thought that this would happen to me?

“Gilbert!”

I turned around after hearing the voices: Elizabeta and Kirkland – which did not surprise me in the least. Sadly, Sakura was still unconscious and I picked her up to give her to Kirkland, who had nervously rushed towards me.

“She is all right, but needs rest, I – ”

“You cannot be bloody serious!? All right? She is unconscious, bleeding and her forehead is burning!” Kirkland hissed as he took the mermaid and enclosed her protectively in his arms.

Eliz on the other hand wore a big smile on her face, probably growing familiar to this sight: The fearless Captain Kirkland having a tantrum because of another person’s well-being.

“How are you doing?” she asked and I could not hold myself back as she stared at me. I had been so worried after hearing that Roberts had injured her badly. I pulled her in my arms and mumbled in her hair. “I am fine . . . and relieved that you are fine as well.”

Her smile grew and I detected some tears in her eyes; I knew it were tears of joy, of relieve . . .

“I love you,” I whispered, not realising what I actually wanted to say. Tightening my arms around her form, I let the words sink in. I felt warm and uncertain at the same time. Those three words had burst out of my mouth before I could prevent myself from stopping them.

“I love you too,” she answered in a soft tone.

Had she any idea how much those words meant to me? My pulse was racing, my cheeks heated and all I wanted to do, was proving my love to her. I wanted to kiss her.

“I am so glad,” I whispered before releasing her. Elizabeta grinned, her blush just as red as mine before she pulled me down to her height. Even now, she was taking the initiative and I did not protest. Our lips met and I forgot everything around me; it was only the two of us. Every fibre of my body was feeling the emotion; the sparkle, the butterflies, the magic, the happiness.

She was the one I wanted to be with; the one who had not only abducted me but also stolen my heart. As her lips parted from mine, I refused to let go of her. How could I not want more of those wonderful feelings? To feel save and loved by the one who shared those same emotions.

I now knew what it felt like to know that my future could be filled with happiness.

* * *

 

**Translation:**

_Endlich_ \- Finally

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: After the action comes the romantic ~ :D. A-and what this has over 68k words :'D how did that happen :'D?]


	44. XLIV.

_Arthur_

After Antonio, Alfred and I had succeeded in catching Edelstein – which was rather easy, after the dragon and the merfolk had appeared and killed half of their crew within a short time, Edelstein had no other options than surrendering. Frankly, the man’s stature did not seem to be a strong one; he was no fighter and that was our advantage. The man’s face showed every sign of desperation and he had definitely acknowledged his own defeat. His strongest ally was defeated and Edelstein was completely on his own; he had no other choice than giving up.

“Had I only married Lady Van Haegen,” Edelstein muttered next to me, clearly caught in his own thoughts; he was probably reflecting on his past and the question “What if?”.

Antonio and I had taken a firm hold on the culprit, but after hearing this statement, the brunette admiral – who would officially be one . . . we had won this war after all – stopped his movements.

“What?” He grumbled with a raised brow while glaring at the man in his strong grip. “Did you just say Lady Van Haegen?”

Even I hold great respect for Antonio; his eyes expressing his anger was not a good sign. Edelstein tried to hide his fear with moving his head around to avoid the brunette’s fierce eyes. “Y-Yes,” he whispered.

“And why should such a beautiful Lady marry you?”

Edelstein lifted his eyebrow; he was a little annoyed by Antonio’s inquiry. “Why should I answer such a question?”

“Listen, you little fool!” Antonio suddenly barked – too tired of the fights that his patience had reached its limits. I let go of the hostage as Antonio grabbed him with his hands. He was almost strangling the Duke. “Such a Lady as Lady Van Haegen does not deserve someone like you!”

Edelstein seemed to have noticed that the former pirate was growing angry when the blonde Lady was mentioned. A small smile – which was more a smirk than a simple smile – graced his lips. If he had to endure this imprisonment, he would provoke the former pirate and hit a nerve that would crash his hopes.

“She certainly does not deserve a filthy pirate!”

I have never seen Antonio in rage, until now. Reading the situation, I quickly stopped Antonio from doing something stupid. “Stop it! He is provoking you,” I told him, trying to convince him to keep calm. I was aware of the feeling when a man mentioned the woman one liked.

Fortunately the King’s guards were approaching us, taking the royal hostage.

Antonio pointed his index finger and middle finger to his eyes before pointing them back to Edelstein. “I will watch you,” the green-eyed warned, before the Duke was taken into custody. “Feel free to treat him as he deserves to,” Antonio affirmed next to me.

I sighed. Finally, Antonio’s nerves were calming down. “Now I knew how you felt when I picked on you by flirting with your mermaid,” Antonio confessed, avoiding my sight.

“Y-yes,” I mumbled; I was not familiar with those terms he and Alfred had confronted me with. _Your mermaid, your fiancée._

The man turned around, his face serious. “It was an honour working with you Admiral Kirkland.”

The shock in my face must have caused him to laugh as I witnessed his struggle to not chuckle. I sighted his hand before shaking it, a little embarrassed by this outcome. “The honour was mine.”

His smirk returned quickly, “But I will not always address you by your rank, Kirkland.”

Of course . . . He would not, that git. His eyes left mine again; he was distracted from something behind me and I could not think of what, before I too, diverted my attention towards the object that had caught his eyes.

It was the Lady who was related with Noah. And she had only been the topic of our conversation seconds ago. Elizabeta and her father had exited her ship along with Noah’s older brother, who must have awaited his family.

“You will have to face him,” I pointed to the tall blonde, “If you want to court his half-sister.”

Antonio grinned. “Oh I have my methods. If you will please excuse me,” he said, “I have to convince my future brother in law of my character and intentions, and you better look after your mermaid.”

A thought crossed my mind: After we had taken Edelstein to our ship, I had not once tried to contact her. Gilbert had mentioned that she was growing weaker during the fighting.

I quickly laid my hand on the patch she had given us. “Sakura?” I asked and received no answer. The strange – yet pleasant – bound I had felt with her was not present. And at that moment, my heart jumped out of my chest. What if something miserable had occurred?

“Kirkland?”

“Elizabeta! We need to look for Sakura and Gilbert,” I informed her and did not bother to try to disguise the fear in my shaking voice.

“O-of course,” she replied, before she followed me. I saw that she had problems to keep up with my pace – I was sprinting to the building of which I thought they had observed the battlefield.

 

My heart broke as I was confronted with the sight of an unconscious Sakura in the arms of the Prince.

“Gilbert!” Elizabeta shouted.

My feet took me to him immediately and as I was told that the mermaid was all right but needed to rest, I cringed. She was not all right; her temperature was too high; her nose was bleeding and she had fainted due to the exhausting task of controlling half of the ocean. If the war had been longer than those few hours, she would have died. I took her from Gilbert, pressing her tighter to my chest. No harm should befall her.

“Make haste, we have to go the sick bay,” I ordered but received no answer. Turning around, I noticed that both of them were occupied by looking at each other and I decided to run alone to a doctor that would take care of Sakura – of course I would not let her alone; I would stay by her side until she was fully recovered.

Intuition took me to the sick bay – I had been uncertain about its location before – and I was not the only one who needed a doctor or healer to look at someone I cared for. Several soldiers had been injured during the war. I hoped that the casualties were not high, but at the moment, all my concerns involved a petite dark-haired mermaid that lay unconscious in my arms.

 

“Admiral Kirkland?”

Once again I perked up my head as I heard my name. It was Toris, who laid in one of the beds; a bandage around his abdomen. Natalya sat on a chair next to him, glaring at the nurse that was giving him painkillers.

“You got hurt?” I asked before Toris noticed Sakura in my arms. “Get a doctor, quickly,” he ordered to the female nurse who gladly left him alone. She was probably scared by Natalya’s piercing glare – I understood the nurse; even sympathising with her.

After some minutes, an empty bed was found for Sakura and the doctor assured that she was all right; she needed to rest and I was tempted to hit him. I knew it was wrong to assume that other people understood my worries and that they were aware of my way of handling them – which was absolutely wrong; I could barely contain my frustration when my nerves were strained.

 

“Bloody hell,” I murmured, seating myself next to Sakura’s bed and grabbing her hand, holding it tightly.

“What an unfamiliar sight,” the blonde assassin opined, eyeing me.

“Indeed,” I mimicked her look, seeing that she too was holding the General’s hand; the man had fallen asleep minutes ago.

Her cheeks coloured immediately and her eyes wandered to the wall. She would ignore me all evening, which I normally would not mind. But not this day. Not when I needed to waste time; I needed to wait for any signs of recovery on Sakura’s behalf and could not endure the waiting without distraction. I did not want to be lonely in such a situation. So I continued the conversation.

“Please don’t take any offense, but I never thought I would witness this,” I muttered, catching her attention again. “That you would find someone you would care for and appreciate it.”

My eyes fell on the sleeping man on the bed and Natalya’s face did something I had never experienced before: she wore a gentle smile.

“It seems so,” she admitted with a light blush as her eyes fell on Sakura, “but I am not the only one.”

I chuckled, hiding my grin – and coloured cheeks – behind my hand. “Yes . . . Who would have thought that the two of us would find compassionate and humble persons who are concerned about our well-being,” I noted, “The two of us, who do not know anything about social behaviour.”

Natalya glared at me but remained silent. She knew I was right, even if my opinion sounded bold. It was still true. The ones we loved were calm and empathising people who had somehow managed to reciprocate our feelings. Although in Natalya’s case, Toris was besotted with her from the first moment he had seen her. When I had met him on the island, it was crystal clear that he loved her with all his heart.

Unbelievable. He and Sakura had come into our lives per coincidence. A criminal attempt – abducting a prince – had created new friendships and relations.

“She will fight,” Natalya suddenly spoke, “She would not leave you here alone.”

It were words of hope; her way of supporting Sakura.

Me in a room with Natalya, talking about positivity . . . A scene I had always thought ridiculous, until this moment. Life can be very humorous; in its own way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I wanted to thank you for the all kudos :D . I always thought that SpaBel was a cute pairing, but after I read that Parallel Spain fell in love with her (Christmas special 2010, so it is kind of canon) I started shipping it more and more :D. And pirate Spain is sassy again *because he can ~* , he is a little cheeky in this role but I love it :D. Nat an Iggy being bros because their beloved ones are injured. Tragic bounds people. Btw there is only one more chapter which afterwards will be followed by an epilogue :3.]


	45. XLV.

_Toris_

Two days had passed since Edelstein and Roberts had been taken into custody. The injured were treated in hospitals while the death soldiers were interred. Fortunately enough, the numbers of the Borussian victims were not as high as those of the enemies. Still, Gilbert had ordered a minute of silence to honour those who had lost their life in the war. I was still lying in my bed in the hospital; Sakura had been stayed in my room as well and had only woken up some hours ago. We had exchanged some words, but she was still too weak to respond properly. Arthur and Natalya had stayed days and nights by our side before they were thrown out by the doctors and guards. Despite Natalya’s disapproving look, she had not protested – I was healthy enough – but Kirkland was exclaiming his frustration to the guards. Sakura was still sleeping and worrying to the point where he had almost hit one of the soldiers who were responsible for the security of the hospital. It was now in the midst of the day and soon the two of them would be allowed to enter our room again.

“Do you think the others will visit us too?” Sakura asked softly, steadying herself on her elbows. She wanted to sit up and not lay down. After being in that position for days, I sympathised with her. Sitting was still a more agreeable position to talk to someone than lying.

“Maybe, I could –”

The door burst open and a sprinting Kirkland entered the chamber. His face was red form running, his breath short from panting. “You woke up!” he affirmed and rushed to Sakura’s bed to take her face in his hands, caressing her cheeks with his thumbs. “You finally woke up,” he whispered again.

“I hope you’ve got a good rest.”

Upon hearing Feliks’ voice, I looked at the door. Natalya, Elizabeta, Gilbert (in company of Gilbird), Antonio and Raivis had joined him in visiting us.

“Yes,” I grinned and reminded myself that I had never thought that I would consider all of them my friends and allies. Natalya silently approached me and shot me a light smile – which she had done often lately – before the rest of the party came into the room. She quickly grabbed my hand as one of the nurses – who had often taken care of me – entered the chamber as well to examine me and Sakura. The petite woman wanted to start with me but retreated immediately after she saw that Natalya was eyeing her critically. She had done this for days; every time someone wanted to approach me, she would warn them with her looks: Just like a lion protecting its children. I recognised it as a sign of admiration and respect. Natalya had finally admitted with those actions that she felt something towards me and it filled my heart with happiness. To say that I did not enjoy her attention was an understatement.

After Kirkland had finally let go of Sakura, she pulled her upper body up to have a proper view of the guests, but was stopped by the blonde admiral who behaved worse than a nurse.

“You should not exhaust yourself.”

“Kirkland, she is only sitting, she won’t be hurt,” Elizabeta commented, receiving a glare from the former pirate captain.

“Miss Sakura,” Raivis uttered shyly, “I brought you and Mr General flowers.”

I chuckled, seeing that the nervous boy had indeed brought a bouquet for the two of us. It was cute of him to think of me as well. His hands shook as he gave me the gift and I thanked him gently. He was a sweet little boy that had experienced anger, violence and exploitation. Upon hearing my appreciative words, he blushed but stayed next to me.

“I am glad you are all right,” Gilbert confessed with a light smile, “I mean of course you are all under the order of the awesome Borussian army – ”

“Be quiet,” Elizabeta intervened while elbowing him in the ribs. “He wants to say that he is thankful that you have not gotten deadly injured,” she finished his sentence with more objective words than the Prince could have ever chosen.

“Is the rest of the crew faring well?” Sakura asked, receiving a nod as an answer.

“They are, well Noah has a hard time trying to convince his brother from punching Antonio,” Elizabeta replied with her hand on her cheek – while the other held Gilbert’s. Now everyone in the room stared at the new admiral. And I had no clear idea why there would be any disharmony. “Why?”

“Because that fool is trying to woo his half-sister Lady Van Haegen,” Arthur muttered before smirking at his rival. A small laugh escaped Arthur’s mouth as he was probably thinking of the scene of Antonio and his future – if luck was on Antonio’s side – brother in law.

The addressed man’s face was flustered. “And now what? I will try to convince him.”

The present in the room started join Arthur’s laughter at this plan. This would be a real challenge for him if he wanted to succeed.

As the time passed, the visit told us what else had happened over the last days. Edelstein’s family had to sign a new treaty with the countries and to give up most of their military. The countries who were in possession of the amulets of the dragon would decide what would happen with the politics in that country would. The Borussian King had agreed to dissolve the treaties with pirate groups in order for peace. The goal was to prevent crimes and not supporting them. Criminals had their reasons to take the wrong path and he wanted to avoid this; with the help of the former pirates that were now in the Borussian army. Aside from those aspects, Elizabeta told us about her meeting with her grandparents.

“They were completely surprised about my existence and happy to see me,” she told us, “but they were shocked when they saw that Gilbert and I had showed up together at their front door.”

 

Yes, the whole Kingdom was aware of their relation. After everyone had been told of the real story of the appearance of the dragon, they were fascinated by the pair. Some were still unhappy about Elizabeta’s past as a pirate but most of the population adored her. She was a strong woman who had the prince under control – who for most villagers was sometimes a little too exhausting for their nerves. So, most appreciated her position along the next future King. And I had the feeling that we would not have to wait too long before an engagement would be declared to the officials. Just like I . . . I was thinking of doing the same; of settling down and finding a wife. My eyes wandered around the room until they found the blue-violet ones that were gazing back at mine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I was in the mood to update today; I will probably post the epilogue tomorrow :3 . Liet is enjoying Nat’s glaring at other persons xD That little shit >:D but I just imagine those two being like this. He would never look at another woman and she would warn everyone who would dare to hurt or approach him – except for those she knows. Iggy being worse than a nurse (and overprotective, as always :’D). ]


	46. XLVI.

_Epilogue_

_(3 rd Point of View)_

Five years ago, the legendary war between Eastdorn and Borussia – which had only lasted one day – had inspired many writers, poets and ordinary people. While the latter would tell the tale to their descendants, the others wrote books and plays about the fights. Elizabeta and her friends were celebrated as the heroes of the war. They were legends.

A few months after the heroic victory, she had married the prince. His father, the King had asked his son to finally accept the idea of matrimony, which Gilbert had not opposed. He had agreed with a big smile on his face. The love between him and Elizabeta had only grown stronger before they finally wedded. The process of the wedding – considering Gilbert’s rank – had been longer as normal marriage festivals, because Elizabeta received the title of the Princess of Borussia. Two years afterwards, the King had stepped down from his position for the sake of Gilbert’s future.

Until today, he and Elizabeta were ruling the kingdom and received good feedback from the people. They were a popular pairing and Elizabeta’s proud father loved to walk around with the claim that his dear daughter was the reigning Queen of this country.

 

Feliks could not blame him, he himself was doing the same; he had designed the clothes for their royal wedding and of course for their dear child – a boy, who was now four years old. Soon there would be another royal child and he hoped that it would be a girl: a small Lizzie. He always thought that their son – who resembled Gilbert’s brother, only with green eyes – would behave like the King and proclaim that everything was awesome. Fortunately, to his astonishment, the young boy did not. He spent a lot of his time with Prince Ludwig, collecting flowers in the garden for his parents, accompanying Gilbird and fighting with his friends in a playful manner. It was an adorable sight; especially in the evening, when he would be put to sleep by his royal parents – Elizabeta had insisted that their child (and future children) would be raised by them, without the help of nurses or a third party (with the exception of the grandparents of course). The little Prince was aware of his parents’ story; even his mother’s past and he found it fascinating, even dressing up as a pirate whenever the chance was given. Aside from his parents, the little Prince was doted on by his grandfathers (and Elizabeta’s grandparents, who were residing in the castle for some years now.)

 

He was not the only child that was strolling around the royal gardens. His friends were just as adorable as him. Despite Elizabeta being Natalya’s daughter’s Godmother, Feliks was extremely proud to be a Godfather of such a lovely girl – and he took advantage of that. He dressed her in fabulous clothes – and was aware that Toris was a little concerned about it but Feliks always justified his actions with the words “Toris, you have no real sense of fashion.” Not only did the former blonde pirate and his Goddaughter share the same interest in clothing: both were fond of ponies, causing Toris to have to endure his daughter in a pink outfit on a small horse – which carried a saddle in the matching colour.

Even if she was considered a child of aristocracy – due to her father’s and mother’s occupation in the army– she had still learned the ways of fighting like an assassin and pirate. She looked like her mother but acted as she were Toris’ little sister. The little girl had his warm character and the beauty of her mother. When she would grow older, the boys would fawn over her – but Natalya and her husband would make certain that her male admirers would stay away from their little girl; even if she knew how to defend herself.

 

The former pirate crew was often in company of the Prince and his Colonel, discussing plans on bringing peace among the world; although lately, the topic of their own children was getting more attention than their other conversations. Especially when Admiral Kirkland was present: the former pirate captain was more than just proud of his children – a fact everyone had witnessed, particularly Alfred, who liked babysitting the blonde admiral’s kids. The young sailor was still fascinated by the fact that they were half mermaids – something he often spoke of. Ever since Alfred had been saved by a mermaid during the war five years ago, he had not given up on searching for her. Of course, he had asked Sakura about the stranger mermaid’s whereabouts but had not found her until some months ago. He had sighted her near the port – which after the war was not an unusual sight. Many mermaids and sirens had decided to stay near Borussia, seeing that one of the important members of the Royal army was a mermaid – the magic of the dragon was strongly present; a side effect of the time when the creature had been released. This had caused the Sea creatures to remain close to the powerful source. The mermaids felt extremely save there and that was the reason why Alfred’s secret mermaid had settled down at the harbour. Though he was still unsuccessful in his attempts of wooing her, she was warming up to him – probably because he sometimes walked with Kirkland’s children to the port to watch the ocean when their parents were not at home. Those children were not only important to the kingdom, but to the ocean as well. Their skills were connected with the ancient dragon of the ocean. After Sakura had channelled the energy of the dragon and the ocean, the magic of the dragon, which ran through her veins at that moment, had somehow found its way to her DNA. Now Sakura’s and her husband’s children were born with marks that held another symbol as the former one. They did not need to channel any magic of the ocean; they had it in their genes, making them the strongest mermaids on earth. This was a new bloodline which would bind the royal family with Sakura’s family. One could think that those children were treated in a different way or raised as strong fighters, but that was not the case. Their father and mother had made certain that the two children were adorable little sweethearts – as Alfred liked to describe them.

All of them were as happy as they could be, although they were waiting for Antonio and Lady Emma to get married – after years of courting. The only one that needed to be convinced was the Lady’s half-brother who had still not completely gotten over the fact that Emma and a former pirate were in love. They were already engaged and the blonde Lady was expecting twins; Her half-brother though, was not aware of that occurrence and Antonio was the one that needed to tell him.

“I wager that it will take him more than one week,” Kirkland spoke, as he eyed his new blonde rival in front of him.

“All right, I know he will need less than a week.”

Arthur’s eyes narrowed, “How can you be certain, Frogface?”

“Because it is his friend after all and he knows him better than you do? And he has no other choice, he cannot wait to tell him in nine months,” Alfred concluded, receiving another glare from his superior.

“Brat? Be quiet,” the blonde admiral muttered. All of the three were watching Antonio from a dark corner. He was walking towards his future brother-in-law (if their conversation would have a positive outcome). Gilbert had promised to join them in their observations; he would arrive when his son would be asleep – Arthur’s wife was already taking care of their children when it came to sleeping. Sakura would always sing a lullaby to their kids to put them to sleep. As a mermaid, she had a beautiful voice. When Arthur would want his children to fall asleep, he would always tell them a good night story.

 

“What have I missed something?” the Borussian King exclaimed lowly, as he arrived at the scene. He was panting from running,

“No,” Alfred replied as the group waited for anything to happen.

“Feliks had already mentioned that he fancied the idea of creating a wedding dress and clothing for their children.”

Kirkland eyed his King with a dreamy expression, “He needs to dress our children for the ceremony . . . My darling girl would look lovely as a flower girl.”

It was a strange occurrence seeing them planning a wedding with such devotion as Antonio was struggling with his betrothed’s brother – who, unbeknownst to Antonio, would certainly be happy to know of his future nephews.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [A/N: I can only imagine Iggy, Gilbert and Toris being extremely proud, dotting and loving fathers :D. I made Spabel canon, and you can already imagine who their children are ;) little Lovi and little Feli :D . I have finally finished this :D . . . I wanted to thank everybody who has read, followed and favourited the story :3 After one year, this story has come to an end. It is sad though but I am still happy to have had the patience of finishing it :). I know the epilogue is rather short, but it sums up what their relation and life would be :D I hope you liked it :). ]


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